title: Recognition of islet-directed peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro before rejection of allogeneic grafted islets.
abstract: A co-culture of splenic lymphocytes with allogeneic pancreatic islets [i.e., mixed lymphocyte islet co-culture (MLIC)] for 96 hr leads to reduction of beta-cells and to an allospecific induction of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigens on beta-cells. The intent of our investigation was to determine whether peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) obtained from allogeneic islet-grafted BB/OK rats (=sensitization in vivo) cause similar alterations to donor-specific islet cells. PBL prepared before transplantation, before (at day 7) and after islet rejection were co-cultured for 24 hr with donor-specific islets. PBL obtained at any time before and after transplantation caused reduction of beta-cells and enhancement of intercellular adhesion molecule-1(+)/beta-cells. Induction of MHC class II+ beta-cells was most pronounced with PBL obtained before rejection. Down-regulation of major histocompatibility complex class I+ beta-cells was caused by PBL that had been obtained from grafted animals only; it was most pronounced before islet rejection and has never been observed with lymphocytes from nongrafted normoglycemic rats. The 24-hr MLIC is capable of recognizing functionally active, donor-specific lymphocytes and is able to distinguish between the effects of sensitized and nonsensitized lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathophysiology Karlsburg, Medical School of the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University of Greifswald, Karlsburg, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kuttler
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wanka
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hahn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D006084:Graft Rejection; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000032:analysis; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology*; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1