title: Involvement of male-specific minor histocompatibility antigen H-Y in epidermal equivalent allograft rejection.
abstract: This study describes the involvement of male-specific minor histocompatibility antigen H-Y in vitro cultured epidermal equivalent (EE) rejection. Male and female Balb/c or C3H/HeN keratinocytes were isolated and cultured separately. Male EE were grafted onto adult male (isografts) and adult female (H-Y allografts) mice. As controls, Balb/c EE were grafted onto adult C3H/HeN (complete allografts) mice. Fourteen, 21, and 30 days postgrafting, histological studies showed well-organized cutaneous tissues with complete basement membranes (laminin and type IV collagen deposition) in H-Y allografts compared to the isografts. This cutaneous organization was altered 150 days postgrafting, which is a sign of the H-Y EE allograft rejection. Complete allografts were totally rejected 21 days postgrafting. Immunological studies revealed leucocyte infiltration of H-Y allografts. Significant infiltration was detected even 150 days postgrafting. Leucocyte phenotyping revealed the presence of Mac-I+, CD8+ and CD4+ cells in the H-Y allografts. Humoral immune analysis revealed the presence of circulating anti-H-Y allogeneic keratinocyte cytotoxic antibodies in female recipient sera. Our data suggest that male-specific minor histocompatibility antigen H-Y induces cellular and humoral activation of the recipient immune system even after grafting EE free of cutaneous active immune cells such as T lymphocytes and Langerhans cells.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Recherche des Grandes Brûlés/LOEX, Surgery Department, Laval University, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Beaulieu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bergeron
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Auger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rouabhia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000276:immunology; D006182:H-Y Antigen; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation; D007797:Laminin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D010641:Phenotype; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D006182:H-Y Antigen; D007518:Isoantibodies; D007797:Laminin; D003094:Collagen