Cytotoxic and agglutinating H-Y antibodies in multiparous female mice.

Pregnancy in inbred mice is associated with long-term accceptance of H-Y-incompatible skin grafts (in some "rejector" strain females) and with the formation of cytotoxic and agglutinating H-Y antibodies (in females generally). Yet there is no evident correlation between the two phenomena; postpartum females of nonrejector (H-2k), intermediate rejector (H-2d), and rejector (H-2b) strains all may produce H-Y antibodies, and postpartum H-2b females bearing H-Y-incompatible male skin grafts of long-standing may or may not produce H-Y antibodies depending on the individual recipient. Thus, it remains to be seen whether the presence of H-Y antibodies, as detectable to our sperm cytotoxicity and Protein A-SRBC agglutaination tests, signifies a corresponding presence of enhancing H-Y antibodies in pregnant females, and indeed whether enhancement (with respect to H-Y antigen) may play any part in the survival of the inbred male fetus.