Cryopreservation does not alter antigenic expression of aortic allografts.
Cryopreserved aortic homografts are reportedly viable, but no cross-matching or immunosuppression is utilized. Alterations of the antigenic expression by cryo-preservation must be assumed. We designed a protocol to test this premise. Fisher 344 rats served as recipients in all cases. Lewis rats, a mildly disparate strain, were utilized as donors. Four cohorts of animals were utilized. Group I (N = 11) served as a "first set" control. All animals received a syngeneic skin graft. After 28 days an allogeneic skin graft was placed; rejection was seen at 10.3 +/- 0.5 days. Group II (N = 16) first received allogeneic skin grafts with a similar "first set" rejection pattern of 10.4 +/- 0.47 days. A second skin graft was placed and demonstrated an accelerated rejection response of 6.06 days +/- 0.25 days. Group III (N = 17) received two leaflets from a "fresh" Lewis heart valve inserted into a subcutaneous pouch. Allogeneic skin grafts in this group demonstrated a similar second set rejection at 7.05 +/- 0.82 days. Group IV (N = 22) also underwent implantation of heart valve leaflets, except "cryopreserved" Lewis leaflets were implanted into the subcutaneous pouch. An allogeneic skin graft was placed and demonstrated a second set rejection at 7.18 +/- 0.39 days. A one-way analysis of variance shows no significant difference in Groups III and IV, but a significant difference with respect to Group I (P less than 0.00001). Cryopreservation does not alter the antigenic expression in this model, and at present we strongly recommend that at least ABO compatibility be utilized in all patients undergoing aortic homograft implantation.
Cochran
R P
RP
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9031.
Kunzelman
K S
KS
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation; D005615:Freezing; D006084:Graft Rejection; D011309:Preservation, Biological; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic
D000941:Antigens