Islet allograft, islet xenograft, and skin allograft survival in CD8+ T lymphocyte-deficient mice.
Despite extensive study, the immunologic mechanisms mediating allograft rejection have not been completely defined. In the current study, we evaluated the T cell subsets important in islet allograft, skin allograft, and islet xenograft rejection using a genetically engineered line of mice deficient in beta 2-microglobulin expression. Because these mice lack cell surface MHC class I expression, they are deficient in T cells of the CD8 subset (class I-restricted cytotoxic T cells). Pancreatic islet allografts transplanted to CD8+ T cell-deficient recipients showed prolonged survival compared with controls. No prolongation was observed in the survival of pancreatic islet xenografts or in the survival of skin allografts transplanted to the CD8+ T cell--deficient hosts. We conclude that CD8+ T cells play a prominent role in islet allograft, but not islet xenograft or skin allograft, rejection in mice.
Desai
N M
NM
Department of Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104.
Bassiri
H
H
Kim
J
J
Koller
B H
BH
Smithies
O
O
Barker
C F
CF
Naji
A
A
Markmann
J F
JF
D000818:Animals; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000276:immunology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology*
D016827:CD8 Antigens