Strong cellular immune responses induced in vivo against minor antigens in the mouse.

Multiple minor antigen incompatibilities produce unexpectedly strong DTH reactions in mice. These experiments showed that this is probably not due to the effect of a single minor incompatibility, and that the response to the MHC is relatively weak compared with that against multiple minor antigens. Assessment of the in vivo response to multiple minor antigens in delayed-type hypersensitivity responses and in priming for subsequent mixed lymphocyte culture generation of lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity revealed a major degree of cross-reactivity for antigens not present on the initial in vivo stimulus. Recruitment of cross-reactive cells in vivo might play a role in these strong responses to multiple minor antigens.