The host response in graft versus host disease. I. Radiosensitive T cells of host origin inhibit parental anti-F1 cytotoxicity in murine chronic graft versus host disease.

Murine graft versus host (GVH) disease takes two forms depending on the parental/F1 strain combination employed. Acute lethal GVH disease is characterized by anemia, lymphopenia, hypogammaglobulinemia, profound anti-F1 cytotoxicity, and the loss of cytotoxic potential against third-party alloantigen. In contrast to this, chronic GVH disease is characterized by polyclonal B cell activation, auto-antibody production, no anti-F1 cytotoxicity, and retained cytotoxicity against allotargets.

Modulation of murine in vitro immune response by verapamil (V).

Functionally distinct lymphocyte subsets differ with regard to necessary activation signals. In selected circumstances lymphocyte activation has been shown to be critically dependent upon transcellular calcium influx. Whether calcium plays a central role in the activation of all lymphocytes remains to be determined.