H-2 AND BACKGROUND INFLUENCES ON TISSUE GRAFTS ACROSS THE H-Y BARRIER

Male liver was grafted to kidney beds in syngeneic female mice. Relative influences of H-2 haplotype, genetic background or interaction of H-2 haplotype with genetic background on anti-H-Y response were evaluated using 27 inbred strains carrying eight H-2 haplotypes of independent origin and three naturally occurring recombinants. Females of H-2b haplotype acutely rejected the male graft as is reported for other tissue graft systems. An H-2 haplotype influence was found for all haplotypes studied, with a greater variation of immunologic response revealed by histological analysis of liver grafts than is demonstrated by skin grafts. Strains carrying H-2k, H-2j and H-2p haplotypes expressed the greatest range of immunological variability with responses ranging from graft proliferation to graft rejection. Strains carrying the H-2d haplotype had the most consistent responses with little reaction to the graft. The strong immune response by SJL/J (H-2s) female mice to the H-Y antigen is not typical of other H-2s strains, but is compatible with the reported hyperresponsiveness of this strain to alloantigens. © 1979 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.