H-2 restriction for lymphocyte homing into lymph nodes.

Migratory patterns into lymph nodes of labeled spleen lymphocytes, injected intravenously, showed considerable differences according to the genetic identity or disparity of donor and recipient mice. The use of mice carrying different H-2 haplotypes in the same B 10 background, or, conversely, the same H-2b haplotype in different backgrounds, showed that no homing was observed in the case of complete disparity at the H-2 complex, contrasting with optimal homing in the case of H-2 identity. Homing was not influenced by disparity at the genetic background. Irradiation of recipient mice did not change the results and suggested that no immunological host-vs.-graft reaction was involved in the H-2 restriction observed. The use of donor-recipient pairs carrying recombinant H-2 haplotypes showed that a single H-2 K and/or H-2 D identity allowed almost optimal homing. The results indirectly suggested that an immunological graft-vs.-host reaction was not involved in the phenomenon but rather a positive recognition of H-2 K or H-2 D identity between donor and recipient cells.