The replacement of graft endothelium by recipient-type cells conditions allograft rejection mediated by indirect pathway CD4+ T cells.
BACKGROUND
Whereas the participation of alloreactive T cells sensitized by indirect allorecognition in graft rejection is well documented, the nature of recipient antigen presenting cells recognized by indirect pathway CD4+ T cells within the graft has yet to be identified. The purpose of this study was to determine the role played by graft endothelium replacement in the immune recognition of cardiac allografts rejected by indirect pathway CD4+ T cells.


METHODS
Transgenic RAG2-/- mice expressing I-Ab-restricted male antigen H-Y-specific TcR were studied for their capacity to reject H-2k male cardiac allografts. Chronic vascular rejection in this model was due to the indirect recognition of H-Y antigen shed from H-2k male allograft and presented by the recipient's own I-Ab APC to transgenic T cells.


RESULTS
Immunohistochemical analysis of rejected grafts revealed the presence of numerous microvascular endothelial cells (EC) that expressed recipient's I-Ab MHC class II molecules. This observation suggested that graft endothelium replacement by I-Ab-positive cells of recipient origin could stimulate the rejection of male H-2k graft by I-Ab-restricted H-Y-specific T cells. To investigate further this possibility, hearts from H-2b-into-H-2k irradiation bone marrow (BM) chimera were transplanted in transgenic recipients. A direct correlation was observed between the presence of I-Ab-positive EC within myocardial microvessels and the induction of acute rejection of chimeric H-2k male cardiac allografts transplanted in transgenic recipients.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that graft endothelium replacement by recipient-type cells is required for the rejection of cardiac allograft mediated by indirect pathway alloreactive CD4+ T cells.
Kapessidou
Yota
Y
Institute for Medical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
Habran
Claude
C
Buonocore
Sofia
S
Flamand
Véronique
V
Barvais
Luc
L
Goldman
Michel
M
Braun
Michel Y
MY
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000502:physiology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell