Abstract
Summary
The characteristic latency period of 6 months was noted for the development of leukemia of AKR mice. Growth of transplanted syngeneic thymomas occurred equally well in 4-week- as 28-week-old recipient AKR mice. Repetitive grafting of thymic tissue from 4-week donors into AKR mice 8 weeks or 6 months old at initiation of study failed to retard leukemogenesis. This result is contrary to the hypothesis that the latent period for leukemia in AKR mice is produced by thymic suppressor cells in young AKR mice. Further, transplantation of 6-month thymic tissue into either 8-week or 6-month recipients accelerated disease. There was a progressive loss of responsiveness to phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A in AKR mice with age. The responsiveness to mitogens during frank leukemia was similar to that described in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.