Xenogeneic skin graft rejection is especially dependent on CD4+ T cells.
B6 mice were treated in vivo with anti-CD4, anti-CD8, or both anti-T cell antibodies together in an effort to prolong xenogeneic compared with allogeneic skin graft survival. Mice treated with anti-CD4 antibody showed prolonged survival of xenogeneic monkey or rabbit skin even after they had rejected whole MHC-disparate allogeneic mouse skin. Furthermore, the addition of cyclosporine was synergistic with the anti-CD4 antibody in prolonging graft survival. These results suggest that the cell-mediated response to xenogeneic antigens is especially dependent on CD4+ lymphocytes, a feature shared by the response to allogeneic minor histocompatibility antigens. In addition, the results suggest a possible approach to clinical immunosuppression for some forms of xenogeneic transplantation.
Pierson
R N
RN
Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.
Winn
H J
HJ
Russell
P S
PS
Auchincloss
H
H
D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000502:physiology*; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000502:physiology; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011817:Rabbits; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens