Sex-dependent effects of non-H-2 loci on lethal GVH reaction induced across an H-2 barrier.

We have studied the influence of DBA/2 non-H-2 antigens on the lethal graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR) developed across an H-2 barrier. (DBA/2 X B10.D2)F1 X B10.D2 (H-2d) backcross (BC) mice were typed for their allelic constitution at nine genetically independent chromosome markers and used as individual cell donors simultaneously for two to three (DBA/2 X B10.D2)F1 recipients incompatible for DBA/2 non-H-2 antigens alone and two to three (DBA/2 X B10.BR)F1 recipients incompatible for DBA/2 non-H-2 antigens and H-2k. The results showed that, when compared with that developed in a control group incompatible for H-2k alone [B10.D2----(B10.D2 X B10.BR)F1]; the GVHR mortality seen in the presence of an additional incompatibility for DBA/2 non-H-2 antigens [(DBA/2 X B10.BR)F1 recipients] is significantly delayed but only in female mice. An analysis of individual BC donors indicated that this protective effect of DBA/2 non-H-2 antigens correlates with incompatibility for gene(s) linked to the Pgm-1 chromosome marker. In contrast, incompatibility for gene(s) linked to Mod-1 and Es-3 markers accelerates GVHR mortality, but only in male mice. Finally, the results obtained with (DBA/2 X B10.D2)F1 and (DBA/2 X B10.BR)F1 recipients were compared; they showed that the intensity of the GVHR developed by cells from individual BC donors against a given set of DBA/2 non-H-2 antigens correlates well with that developed by the same BC donor against the same set of non-H-2 antigens plus H-2k. We conclude that certain non-H-2 genes (and antigens) can modulate the intensity of the GVHR developed across an H-2 barrier. The number of such genes is probably great; their effects are strong and complex, and can be sex-dependent.