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 ofH-2 haplotype, genetic background or interaction ofH-2 haplotype with genetic background on anti-H-Y response were evaluated using 27 inbred strains carrying eightH-2 haplotypes of independent origin and three naturally occurring recombinants. Females ofH-2 ^b haplotype acutely rejected the male graft as is reported for other tissue graft systems. AnH-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 carryingH-2 ^k ,H-2 ^j andH-2 ^p haplotypes expressed the greatest range of immunological variability with responses ranging from graft proliferation to graft rejection. Strains carrying theH-2 ^d haplotype had the most consistent responses with little reaction to the graft. The strong immune response by SJL/J (H-2 ^s ) female mice to the H-Y antigen is not typical of otherH-2 ^s strains, but is compatible with the reported hyperresponsiveness of this strain to alloantigens.