Subclinical GvHD in non-irradiated F1 hybrids: severe lymphoid-tissue GvHD causing prolonged immune dysfunction

Bone Marrow Transplant. 2011 Apr;46(4):586-96. doi: 10.1038/bmt.2010.162. Epub 2010 Jul 5.

Abstract

GvHD is an important complication of allogeneic hematopoietic SCT. Parent-in-F1 models are frequently used to study GvHD immunobiology; the characteristics of parent-in-F1 GvHD vary between strain combinations and induction protocols. Here, we observed that a high-dose challenge of non-irradiated B6DBA2F1 and B6SJLF1 recipients with C57BL/6 splenocytes left the majority of recipients clinically healthy, while inducing progressive high-grade donor T-cell chimerism. We investigated this previously undescribed pattern of parent-in-F1 T-cell alloreactivity and studied the effect of serial parental splenocyte infusions on epithelial and lymphohematopoietic tissues. The majority of recipients of 4 weekly splenocyte infusions showed long-term survival with gradual establishment of high-grade donor chimerism and without any signs of epithelial-tissue GvHD. A minority of recipients showed BM failure type of GvHD and, respectively, graft rejection. Moreover, long-term F1 chimeras showed protracted pancytopenia, and in peripheral lymphoid tissues severe lymphopenia and near-complete eradication of APCs and dysfunction in antigen-presenting capacity in remaining APC. Hematopoiesis and lymphoid tissue composition recovered only after multilineage donor chimerism had established. In conclusion, we report on a novel type of parent-in-F1 hybrid GvHD, where a cumulative high dose of C57BL/6 parental splenocytes in non-irradiated F1 mice induces subclinical but severe hematolymphoid-tissue GvHD, causing prolonged immuno-incompetence.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigen-Presenting Cells / pathology
  • Cell Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Chimera
  • Graft Rejection
  • Graft vs Host Disease / immunology*
  • Immune System / pathology
  • Lymphoid Tissue / immunology
  • Lymphoid Tissue / pathology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Spleen / cytology*