Failure to prolong pancreatic islet allograft survival in rats with donor-specific blood transfusions and immunosuppression.
The effects on pancreatic islet allograft survival of donor-specific blood transfusions (DST) in combination with pre- and posttransplant immunosuppression were studied. A total of 12 groups of rats (n = 105) with chemically induced diabetes underwent islet allotransplantation. Multiple DST or third-party blood transfusions (TPT) were given prior to transplantation. Pretransplant immunosuppression consisted of azathioprine and prednisolone, and low-dose cyclosporin A was used for posttransplant immunosuppression. TPT, as well as separate or combined pre- and posttransplant immunosuppression without blood transfusions, did not prolong islet allograft survival. DST resulted in either primary nonfunction of the islet allografts or a markedly decreased islet allograft survival. These findings contrast with the beneficial effect of DST on whole-organ allograft survival in rats previously described by others.
van der Vliet
J A
JA
Department of Surgery, University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
van der Hem
L G
LG
Field
M J
MJ
Sutherland
D E
DE
D000818:Animals; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D006085:Graft Survival; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous