Restricted chimerism of peripheral blood cells after transplantation of allogeneic hemopoietic tissue in rabbits

Allogeneic bone marrow or spleen cells were transplanted in rabbits treated with a single dose of 110 kmg/g of cyclophosphamide or four doses of 50 mg/kg. Chimerism of peripheral blood cells occurred in about 50% of the recipients, lasting from about the 14th day until 180 days after transplantation. The chimerism was limited to some kinds of cells since dissociation of proliferation of hemopoietic cells and split chimerism of lymphocytes were observed. Dissociation of proliferation of hemopoietic cells consisted in the appearance of only one cell line, namely lymphocytes, whereas the erythrocyte cells did not proliferate. Split chimerism occurred within lymphocytes, manifested by the presence of the donor's T lymphocytes but absence of proliferation of the donor's B lymphocytes.