The high background immune reactivity of mice to polymorphic determinants on xenogeneic erythrocytes: theoretical and practical implications.

Background responses have been assessed by fusing lipopolysaccharide- (LPS) stimulated spleen cells from unimmunized mice with MOPC 315.43 myeloma cells and screening the hybrids for the production of antibody against chicken red blood cells (CRBC). Clones specific for CRBC represented about 1% of total hybrid clones (1000 to 5000 clones were obtained per mouse). The majority of the anti-CRBC clones (greater than 95%) secreted antibody against polymorphic CRBC determinants (present on CRBC from some but not all chickens) rather than species-specific determinants present on all CRBC. Some of the polymorphic determinants were linked to the B locus (the MHC of the chicken) and some were non-B antigens. The relative amount of these 2 categories varied slightly according to the mouse strain. These results agree well with the specificities of natural mouse antibody and rosette-forming spleen cells. The response of immunized mice against CRBC and human RBC was also selective for polymorphic determinants. These results have considerable importance for the use of xenogeneic RBC as "standard" antigens, and are interpreted in terms of a model for the advantages of genetic polymorphism as a protection against antigen mimicry by parasites.