Perichondrial Chondrogenesis and Periosteal Osteogenesis by Localized Graft-vs-host Reaction in Mice

Localized GvH reaction produced by the subcutaneous injection of parental lymphoid cells into the ear lobe of F1 recipient mice results in local activation of perichondrial chondrogenesis. Similarly, when the GvH reaction was elicited in shanks, the periosteal membranes at the site of immune reaction were stimulated to proliferate and to produce new bone. However, syngeneic lymphocytes activated in vivo by Con A and untreated syngeneic spleen and bone marrow cells administered locally produced similar response of bone and cartilage. Thus the lymphocytes activated either in the course of GvH reaction or syngeneic lymphocytes grafted into heterotopic sites presumably release mediators capable to stimulate periosteal/perichondrial membranes.