title: Induction of donor-specific tolerance in rat hind-limb allografts under antilymphocyte serum and cyclosporine A protocol.
abstract: Composite tissue allograft (CTA) transplantation became a clinical reality despite major side effects associated with the administration of chronic immunosuppression. Development of new treatment modalities eliminating life-long immunosuppression is essential for the future of CTA transplantation. In this study, combined use of cyclosporine A (CsA) and antilymphocyte serum (ALS) was tested for the potential to induce tolerance in the rat hind-limb allograft recipients across a major histocompatibility (MHC) barrier (Lewis-Brown-Norway [LBN, RT1(l+n)] to Lewis [LEW, RT1(l)] rats). Thirty transplantations were performed in 5 experimental groups. Animals received CsA and ALS 12 hours before surgery for 21 days thereafter. Although the allograft controls rejected their limbs at day 7 combined treatment of CsA and ALS resulted in indefinite survival (over 420 d) in all allograft recipients. Long-term survivors showed 35% to 42% of donor-specific chimerism in the peripheral blood. Clinical tolerance was confirmed by acceptance of the donor-specific skin grafts and immunocompetence was confirmed by rejection of the third-party grafts. Mixed lymphocyte reaction revealed suppressed response against donor-type antigens and increased response to third-party antigens. Donor-specific tolerance across MHC barrier was induced in CTA allografts under 21 days protocol of ALS/CsA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Microsurgery Research, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siemionow
authors.forename: Ramadan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oke
authors.forename: Kagan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozer
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Izycki
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prajapati
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006085:Graft Survival; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000637:transplantation*; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018183:Transplantation Chimera; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine