Immunocompetence of chimeric rabbits. III. Serial passage and persistence of B-lymphocyte memory.

In a model consisting of noninbred rabbits matched for major histocompatibility antigens and mismatched for immunoglobulin allotypes, using cell donors and recipients unrelated to each other, B-cell memory has been demonstrated to persist through three successive transfers for a period approaching 2 years. Memory cells from the original donor are shown to dominate specific antibody responses of the primary and secondary recipients. Vigorous antibody responses by donor-derived cells are obtained even when antigenic stimulation is delayed by several months. The data suggest that B memory cells may be particularly efficient in the colonization of recipients, and the potential significance of these findings for adoptive immunization of human bone marrow recipients is discussed.