title: Antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells mediate human fetal pancreas allograft rejection in SCID-hu mice.
abstract: Human allograft rejection was studied in SCID mice transplanted with human fetal liver and thymus tissue (SCID-hu mice). These SCID-hu mice have functional, mature T cells with a polyclonal TCR repertoire. Within 12 to 36 wk after construction, SCID-hu mice were transplanted with an HLA-mismatched human fetal pancreas. In contrast to control SCID mice transplanted with pancreas alone, cellular infiltration, induction of HLA-DR on pancreatic epithelial cells, and tissue destruction of the allogenic pancreata were observed in SCID-hu mice. In addition, human insulin was not detected in the serum of SCID-hu mice in which pancreas rejection occurred. The infiltrating cells were mainly human CD3+ T lymphocytes of thymic origin, expressing the CD45RO isoform. T cell lines and CD4+ T cell clones obtained from the rejected tissues proliferated vigorously when stimulated with EBV-transformed B cell lines of pancreas donor origin. Furthermore, the majority of these CD4+ T cell clones displayed strong allospecific cytotoxicity. In addition, CD8+ T cell clones cytotoxic for EBV-transformed B cell lines of pancreas donors were isolated. Blocking experiments with anti-HLA mAbs and panel studies with HLA-matched cell lines showed that these CD4+ and CD8+ T cell clones were specific for the HLA class II and class I molecules, respectively, expressed by the pancreas donor. These data indicate that human T lymphocytes developing in SCID-hu mice are able to mount in vivo responses against allogenic organs, resulting in tissue infiltration and rejection. In addition, they show that both CD4(+)- and CD8(+)-allospecific CTL can be isolated from rejected allogenic pancreata.
authors.affiliation: Human Immunology Department, DNAX Research Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rouleau
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Namikawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Antonenko
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Carballido-Perrig
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Roncarolo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005333:Fetus; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000473:pathology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta