title: Reduced MHC class II antigen expression on rat heart and kidney cells after in vitro exposure to longwave ultraviolet irradiation.
abstract: The pretreatment of both kidney and heart donor with the photosensitizer 8-methoxy-psoralen followed by in vitro longwave ultraviolet graft irradiation (PUVA therapy) significantly prolonged graft survival times in rats even across a strong major histocompatibility complex (MHC) barrier. Immunohistological studies using monoclonal antibodies (Mab) to rat MHC class I and II antigens showed a significant reduction of class II antigen expression after PUVA therapy in both Sprague-Dawley rat kidneys and hearts. Using MHC class I Mab there were no differences in distribution pattern in untreated as well as in PUVA treated organs. Thus, our results represent the first in vivo evidence that photochemotherapy-induced graft survival time prolongation is closely connected with its ability to reduce MHC class II antigen expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Humboldt-University of Berlin, G.D.R.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eichler
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oesterwitz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaden
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schade
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scholz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D006321:Heart / Q000528:radiation effects*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000528:radiation effects*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007668:Kidney / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000276:immunology; D011701:PUVA Therapy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II