Immune suppression to nucleosides: differences between NZB and NZW mice

Previous studies (Y. Borel and M. C. Young, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1980. 77: 1593) have shown that one can raise nucleic acid-specific suppressor T cells which diminish either the T-dependent immune response in vivo or the T-independent immune response in vitro. The results presented here confirm and extend these observations in several different strains of mice. Administration of nucleoside-modified spleen cells diminishes antibody-forming cells to nucleoside in mice immunized with nucleoside linked to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). Immune suppression was obtained in all strains except SJL and NZW, which are known to be high responders to denatured DNA. Both the primary and secondary immune responses were suppressed in C57BL/6 mice. Autologous cells exhibit a different ability to function as carriers. Spleen cells are the most effective, and to a certain extent, thymus cells. In contrast, bone marrow cells and red cells fail to induce immune suppression. A strain difference was found between NZB and NZW mice in their susceptibility to immunosuppression by nucleoside-modified spleen cells. Whereas NZB mice are high responders to nucleoside-KLH, they were easily suppressed by nucleoside coupled to spleen cells. In contrast, NZW mice, although relatively low responders to nucleoside-KLH, were not suppressed by administration of nucleoside coupled to spleen cells. Both male and female (NZB × NZW)F1 mice appeared to behave like the NZW parental strain and were resistant to immunosuppression by nucleoside-modified spleen cells. The significance of this observation for the pathogenesis of murine systemic lupus erythematosus is discussed.