Direct evidence of a functional separation of alloreactive T lymphocytes from bystander cells infiltrating rat allografts. Interleukin 2 receptor-positive cells reacting with the monoclonal antibody ART 18 mediating second-set rejection.
In this study we examined the functional capacity of unseparated, IL-2R positive and IL-2R negative leukocytes infiltrating BN rat hearts or kidneys grafted into allogeneic LEW rats. Upon adoptive transfer into syngeneic LEW recipients, splenocytes or day-3 graft infiltrate cells of either cardiac or renal transplants were ineffective to alter BN cardiac test graft survival (controls 7.8 +/- 0.8 day). However, adoptive transfer of day-5 heart infiltrate cells resulted in a delay of test graft rejection (9.4 +/- 0.7 day, P less than 0.001), while day-5 kidney-graft-infiltrating cells produced second set rejection (6.2 +/- 0.5, P less than 0.001). Specificity controls of day-5 cells infiltrating DA heart or kidney grafts rejected at 7.8 +/- 0.8 or 7.7 +/- 0.5 days. Following separation into IL-2R positive and negative subpopulations by use of the mAB ART 18, IL-2R positive but not IL-2R negative cells caused second set rejection in both the renal and the cardiac model (6.2 +/- 0.4, respectively, 6.3 +/- 0.5 days, P less than 0.001 or P less than 0.005). Furthermore, in the kidney model IL-2R positive nylon-wool nonadherent cells also caused second set rejection (6.2 +/- 0.4, P less than 0.005) suggesting that IL-2R positive T cells present in the graft at maximal infiltration are the mediators of rejection. Thus, it appears that these cells can be phenotypically and functionally separated from bystander cells.
Heidecke
C D
CD
Department of Surgery, Technische Universität München, West Germany.
Brauer
R
R
Schneider-Eicke
J
J
Schilling
T
T
Wolff
S
S
Diamantstein
T
T
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006084:Graft Rejection; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2