Human aortic valve allografts elicit a donor-specific immune response.
OBJECTIVE
The nature and magnitude of the immunologic response to implantation of human cryopreserved aortic valve allografts was investigated.


METHODS
Twenty aortic valve allograft recipients were investigated for donor-specific antibody and T-cell-mediated responses with serial flow cytometric and microlymphocytotoxic crossmatch assays and one-way mixed lymphocyte cultures.


RESULTS
Donor-specific immunoglobulin G antibodies to class I and II human leukocyte antigens were first detected in the serum of all aortic valve allograft recipients at 30 days after implantation and persisted in substantial amounts in all but one of the recipients at day 365. Recipient T-cell alloreactivity toward donor lymphocytes was significantly increased at day 30 compared with levels before and 10 days after operation.


CONCLUSIONS
Cryopreserved aortic valve allografts elicit a substantial allogeneic response in recipients. This alloreactivity may contribute to the observed morphologic changes in aortic valve allografts and eventual long-term deterioration of allograft function.
Hogan
P
P
Lions Human Immunology Laboratories, Brisbane, Australia.
Duplock
L
L
Green
M
M
Smith
S
S
Gall
K L
KL
Frazer
I H
IH
O'Brien
M F
MF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation*; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic; D014181:Transplantation Immunology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology
D007518:Isoantibodies