Survival of marrow allografts inW/W v anemic mice: Effect of disparity at theEa-2 locus

Erythrocyte producing tissues of genetically anemicW/W ^v mice were completely populated and the anemic mice were permanently cured by marrow cell grafts from donors that differed at theEa-2 locus. Circulating erythrocytes contained ≧ 80% donor Ea-2 antigen and ≧ 90% donor hemoglobin. Population occurred without immunosuppressive treatment. No sign of graft-versus-host reaction was observed, although donors were congenic with one parent strain of the F₁ hybrid recipients. When partially congenic donors carrying the T6 chromosome marker were used, the immune systems of curedW-anemic mice were populated to an appreciable extent by donor cells. The dependence of cure upon route of injection and the persistence of functioning donor type cells across the strong immunological barrier of the Ea-2 system are discussed.