Adoptive transfer of resistance to murine retrovirus-induced immune suppression.

Infection of certain strains of mice, such as C57BL/6 and C57BL/10 [B10], with LP-BM5 murine leukemia virus (MuLV) rapidly causes a profound and lethal immune suppression. The H2d congenic strain of B10, B10.D2, is resistant to disease, but B10 x B10.D2 F1 mice are susceptible, indicating that disease sensitivity is dominant. To determine whether disease resistance could be adoptively transferred to a sensitive host, radiation chimeras (B10.D2 --> B10 x B10.D2 F1 and F1 --> F1) were challenged with LP-BM5 virus. Infected B10.D2 --> F1 chimeras showed no loss of immune function, whereas F1 --> F1 chimeras infected with LP-BM5 MuLV developed MAIDS and became completely immune suppressed. These results, coupled with previous studies, indicate resistance or sensitivity to disease is an inherent property of the hematopoietic system that can be transferred by bone marrow grafts.