Tumor induction in host-versus-graft disease. I. Clinical and pathologic features

Perinatal C57BL/1 mice given injections of (SJL/J X C57BL/1)F1 spleen cells developed a highly lethal runting syndrome, designated host-versus-graft disease (HVGD). The mortality was related to the dosage of F1 cells. Acute pathologic changes resembled those occurring in parent leads to F1 graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), except for more pronounced plasmacytosis. Mice suffering from HVGD recovered clinically with no sequelae except for a slight increase in the incidence of lymphomas over control mice. Such mice were hyperreactive to F1 cells utilized to initiate the original HVGD syndrome. Most of the tumors developed in those animals receiving the initial injection of F1 spleen cells within 24 hours of birth. Tumor incidence was unrelated to the clinical severity of HVGD. By contrast, GVHD in the same strain combination resulted in a much higher incidence of lymphomas in a much shorter time. Parental strain cells were detectable in the F1 hosts up to the time of tumor development. HVGD has a low tumor induction potential; GVHD has a high tumor induction potential.