Murine renal allografts: spontaneous acceptance is associated with regulated T cell-mediated immunity.
It was shown >20 yr ago that mice will spontaneously accept renal allografts in the absence of immunosuppression, but the mechanism responsible for this is not understood. We transplanted DBA/2 (H-2(d)) kidneys into nephrectomized C57BL/6 (H-2(b)) mice, and the allografts were spontaneously accepted for >60 days without immunosuppression. In contrast, nonimmunosuppressed cardiac and skin allografts in the same strain combination are rejected within approximately 10 days. The accepted renal allografts have a prominent leukocytic infiltrate, suggesting an ongoing, local immune response. At 60 days post-transplant, the recipients of accepted renal allografts display DBA/2-reactive alloantibodies. They also display DBA/2-reactive delayed-type hypersensitivity responses that are actively counter-regulated by DBA/2-induced TGF-beta production, but not by IL-10 production. These data suggest that a donor-reactive, cell-mediated immune mechanism involving TGF-beta is associated with the spontaneous acceptance of renal allografts in mice.
Bickerstaff
A A
AA
Department of Surgery, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. bickerstaff-1@medctr.osu.edu
Wang
J J
JJ
Pelletier
R P
RP
Orosz
C G
CG
D000818:Animals; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000502:physiology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000502:physiology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016753:Interleukin-10