title: Survival, function, morphology and serological aspects of rat renal allografts. Effect of short-term treatment with cyclosporine A, anti-CD4 and anti-interleukin-2 receptor monoclonal antibodies.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of short-term treatment with cyclosporine A (CyA) combined with anti-CD4 (OX-38) and anti-interleukin-2 receptor (OX-39) monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) on graft survival, graft function, morphology, and anti-donor antibody levels in a BN-to-LEW rat kidney transplantation model. Spontaneous rejection occurred at 9.3 days (range 9-10 d). Administration of CyA (12.5 mg/kg/d) for 14 days prolonged graft survival to 33 days (range 23-40 d, P less than 0.02). Supplementing with OX-38 and OX-39 100 micrograms/kg/d, given i.p. from days 0 to 7, further prolonged graft survival to 70 days (range 38- greater than 100 d, P less than 0.02 vs controls and CyA group). One of seven recipients had good graft function for more than 100 days. A three-fold increase of the MAb dosage did not improve mean graft survival (53.5 d), but three of eight recipients had well functioning grafts for greater than 100 days. Kidney function was characterized by reduced creatinine clearance, also in the recipients with long-term graft survival, and a defect in concentrating urine creatinine with subsequent pronounced increase in urinary output. Graft histology showed a complex pattern of interstitial alterations including mononuclear cell infiltration, fibrosis, tubular atrophy and vascular damage with intimal/endothelial cell hyperplasia and perivascular inflammation. In nine of 10 MAb-treated recipients with graft survival greater than 60 days, granular deposits of immunoglobulins and C3 were found by immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM). The deposits were localized in the glomerular capillaries and mesangium. IFM in MAb-treated control animals could not demonstrate any deposits. Flow cytometric evaluation of posttransplant serum samples against donor target cells showed increasing amounts of anti-donor antibodies until the time of rejection, while recipients with long-term graft function had moderately positive cross-matches up to two months after transplantation. Hereafter antibody titres decreased and cross-matches at the time of sacrifice were again negative. The morphological findings and the flow cytometric cross-match results seem to indicate a postponed antibody-mediated type of rejection. The reason why some kidney recipients showed decreasing antibody titres and stable long-term graft function is unclear.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nephropathology, Odense University Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Steinbrüchel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Starklint
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kemp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D016572:Cyclosporine