Lymphomas in C3H mice perinatally inoculated with (C3H × T6) F1 or C3H spleen cells

Abstract Acute fatal Host vs Graft (HVG) reactions may be induced in several strains of inbred mice by the perinatal inoculations of related, histoincompatible F 1 hybrid spleen cells. Susceptible recipients die young with T-cell deficiency and hyperplasia of the B-cell system. It seemed likely that mice which survived or avoided acute HVG reactions would be predisposed to lymphoid malignancies. A doubling of the natural incidence of lymphomas was observed in long term studies of C3Hf/Bi (C 3 H) mice perinatally inoculated with (C 3 H × T 6 )F 1 spleen cells. However, an increased incidence and earlier onset of lymphomas was also seen in the C 3 H recipients of isogenic C 3 H spleen cells. Virological studies revealed the presence of ecotropic murine leukemia virus (MuLV) in both (C 3 H × T 6 )F 1 , and C 3 H donor cell inocula, the earlier expression of MuLV in the recipients of such inocula, and the production of infectious virions by the lymphomas in all C3H/(C3H × T 6 )F 1 mice tested. It is suggested that the inoculation of C-type virus producing cells into hosts which are immunologically or genetically incapable of rejecting them may be a factor favoring the association of ecotropic MuLV and lymphomas in HVG and some Graft vs Host systems.