Influence of donor MHC class I antigen expression on graft survival after rat parathyroid allotransplantation.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the influence of donor MHC antigen expression on graft survival after parathyroid transplantation in three different strain combinations.


METHODS
MHC class I and II expression on parathyroid tissue of Lewis (LEW), Dark Agouti (DA), and Wistar-Furth (WF) rats was first analysed semiquantitatively by immunohistochemistry. Additionally, five groups were transplanted: (1) LEW to LEW, (2) DA to DA, (3) LEW to DA, (4) WF to LEW, and (5) DA to LEW.


METHODS
MHC class I expression was strong in DA, moderate in WF, and weak in LEW rats; MHC class II expression was negative in all three strains. In the interstitium of all investigated tissue specimens, the proportion of MHC class II-expressing cells was low.


RESULTS
After syngeneic transplantation, graft survival could be documented over the whole observation period. A mean graft survival of 20 (+/-2) days was observed following transplantation from LEW to DA, grafts in the group WF to LEW were rejected after 13 (+/-1) days, and graft function lasted 8 (+/-2) days in the group DA to LEW. The number of intragraft leukocytes expressing MHC class II molecules was equal in all groups, whereas increased levels of MHC class I on rat parathyroid tissue before transplantation resulted in a more rapid rejection.


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate that immunogenicity of rat parathyroid tissue seems to be determined by the amount of MHC class I expressed on donor parenchymal cells.
Timm
S
S
Department of Surgery, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany. stephan.timm@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de
Hamelmann
W
W
Otto
C
C
Gassel
A M
AM
Etzel
M
M
Ulrichs
K
K
Thiede
A
A
Timmermann
W
W
D000818:Animals; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000276:immunology*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D010280:Parathyroid Glands / Q000637:transplantation*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011920:Rats, Inbred WF; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II