A Locus Closely Linked to Mtv7 on Mouse Chromosome 1 Influences Development of Acute versus Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease in a Murine Model

The relationship between acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is not well understood. A murine model of acute and chronic GVHD is the B6D2F1 parent → F1 model in which transfer of C57BL/6 parental strain lymphoid cells to B6D2F1 recipients results in development of Th1-mediated acute GVHD, whereas transfer of DBA/2 parental strain lymphoid cells to B6D2F1 recipients results in development of Th2-mediated chronic GVHD. Numerous studies have investigated the reason for the differential development of acute versus chronic GVHD in this model but have as yet failed to identify the factor that determines which type of T helper cell will predominate and thereby which type of GVHD will develop. In this report, we demonstrate, using congenic strains of mice, that a locus in the vicinity of the Mtv7 locus on Chromosome 1 of the mouse significantly influences development of acute versus chronic GVHD in the B6D2F1 model.