title: Influence of donor MHC class I antigen expression on graft survival after rat parathyroid allotransplantation.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany. stephan.timm@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Timm
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hamelmann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gassel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Etzel
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ulrichs
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thiede
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Timmermann
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II