Factors influencing the vaccinia-specific cytotoxic response of thymocytes from normal and chimeric mice
Doherty, P.C.; Schwartz, D.H.; Bennink, J.R.; Korngold, R.
Transplantation Proceedings 13(4): 1850-1853
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-1345 PMID: 6977220 Document Number: 177182
Following adoptive transfer into irradiated recipients, thymocytes can be induced to respond strongly to vaccinia virus. High levels of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity may be generated from thymus, but not from spleen, of 3-day-old mice. The capacity of thymocytes to differentiate into effector CTL tends to be lost with age. Some of this loss may reflect positive suppression: a single, low dose of cyclophosphamide allows the reemergence of responsiveness in at least one mouse strain. Thymocytes from [A leads to (A x B)F1] and [(A x B)F1 leads to A] chimeras show the response patterns that would by predicted from previous studies of lymph node and spleen cells. However, thymic function seems to be rapidly lost in the [A leads to (A x B)F1] Chimeras.