Unexpected reaction of anti-H-2d serum with thymic lymphoma cells derived from transgenic B6-H-2b TCR anti-HY/Db mice.

Transgenic mice with alpha beta TCR specific for male antigen (HY) in the context of H-2Db MHC class I were prepared by introduction of transgens into (C57BL/6J x DBA/2J)F1 hybrid mice (H-2b/d), where only H-2b is selective for maturating thymocytes. Founder transgenic mouse was backcrossed to H-2b MHC background. Serological typing of H-2 antigens revealed that transgenic mice do not express H-2d antigens. Unexpectedly, cells of thymic lymphomas, spontaneously developed in about 45% of old B6 (H-2b) transgenic mice and peripheral blood lymphocytes of about 40% of transgenic mice, reacted with anti-H-2d serum (strain 129 mice (H-2b) immunized with thymocytes and splenocytes of BALB/c mice) but not with monoclonal antibodies against H-2d MHC class I antigens. Anti-H-2d serum has been shown to react with thymocytes but not peripheral blood lymphocytes from non-transgenic H-2b mice. The lymphocytes of transgenic mice reacting with anti-H-2d serum could represent disseminating preneoplastic or neoplastic cells expressing antigen encoded outside MHC region and present on the cell surface of immature thymocytes but not lymphocytes in healthy mice.