Pathways of antigen traffic from skin allotransplant to recipient lymph nodes--an evolutionarily developed route for initiation of rejection of foreign antigens.
Immune events developing in the bed of skin allograft and draining lymphatics and lymph nodes are probably a copy of what happens in skin after invasion by bacteria, viruses or fungi. The mechanism of local immune response developed in skin during the evolution and is highly conserved and efficient in elimination of foreign antigens. This is why the take of a skin allograft is so difficult and immunosuppressive measures applied after allogeneic skin transplantation remain so ineffective. Authors present their results of studies on the human skin immune humoral and cellular factors, underlining their specificities and differences compared with blood. They also analyze the role of non-immunological factors, such as tissue fluid formation and lymph flow in transportation of alloantigen to the lymph nodes. The migratory properties of immune cells are an indispensable factor in transfer of alloantigen to the lymph nodes. Understanding of the evolutionarily developed immune events in skin may allow to analyze the process of skin allograft rejection and can give hints for more effective immunosuppressive policy.
Olszewski
W L
WL
Dept. of Surgical Research & Transplantology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw. wlo@cmdik.pan.pl
Galkowska
H
H
Zaleska
M
M
Laszuk
D
D
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000941:Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology*; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology*; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D000941:Antigens