Irregular xenoantibodies against human red blood cells in Papio anubis, P ursinus, P hamadryas, P papio, Saimiri sciureus, and Macaca mulatta: possible effect on xenotransplantation results.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the presence of irregular xenoantibodies against human red blood cells (RBCs) in 6 primate species used in xenotransplantation and other experimental procedures.


METHODS
Serum samples from 109 baboons of 4 different species (olive, chacma, sacred, and Guinea), 38 rhesus macaques, and 30 squirrel monkeys were tested for irregular xenoantibodies using an agglutination test using human RBCs of known phenotype for Rh, Kell, Kidd, Lewis, Lutheran, P1, and Duffy antigens, commercially available as RBC I, II, and III.


RESULTS
We found hemagglutination for RBC I in 49%, 22%, 100%, 57%, 32%, and 33% of olive, chacma, sacred, and Guinea baboons, rhesus macaques, and squirrel monkey, respectively. The frequency for RBC II was 49%, 50%, 100%, 57%, 37%, and 33%, respectively, and for RBC III was 56%, 37%, 100%, 79%, 34%, and 33%, respectively. There were differences in frequency depending on the sex of the rhesus macaques; all 3 RBCs tested were higher in the females: 44% vs 0%, P = .008; 48% vs 1%, P = .02, and 44% vs 9.1%, P = .04 for RBC I, II, and III, respectively. There were differences due to age in only olive baboons, and a higher frequency in younger animals compared with juvenile, subadult, and adult animals for all 3 human RBCs.


CONCLUSIONS
Assessment of irregular antibodies in the presence of primate serum should be taken into account during any experimental xenotransplantation protocol.
Ramis
G
G
Departamento de Producción Animal, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain. guiramis@um.es
Martínez-Alarcón
L
L
Majado
M
M
Ríos
A
A
Quereda
J J
JJ
Ramírez
P
P
Muñoz
A
A
D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile / Q000097:blood*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006384:Hemagglutination; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007626:Kell Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D008188:Lutheran Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D010215:Papio / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D048530:Papio anubis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D012453:Saimiri / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile; D007626:Kell Blood-Group System; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens; D008188:Lutheran Blood-Group System