Local graft-versus-host reaction in mice evoked by Peyer's patch and other lymphoid tissue cells tested in a lymphocyte-induced angiogenesis assay.

The competence of murine Peyer's patch cells to evoke a local GVH reaction was compared with that displayed by lymphoid cells of spleen, lymph nodes, thymus, bone marrow, peritoneal cavity and peripheral blood. The local GVH reaction was assessed in a lymphocyte-induced angiogenesis assay in which an intradermal injection of lymphoid cells results in a new blood vessel formation at the injection site, and the number of vessels corresponds to the number of the immunocompetent cells injected. Peyer's patch cells were capable of mounting a local GVH reaction of intensity comparable to that evoked by the corresponding number of thymus cells or a four times lower number of spleen cells. The highest activity was exhibited by lymph node and peripheral blood cells while bone marrow cells were the least active. A striking increase in angiogenic response was observed after X-irradiation of the recipients with 700R.