title: Porcine CTLA4-Ig prolong islet xenografts in rats by downregulating the direct pathway of T-cell activation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Porcine pancreatic islets fused with pCTLA4-Ig were transplanted into diabetic rats. Xenografts survival was observed, and the underlying immunological rejection mechanisms were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Control porcine islets, empty vector (Adv-GFP)-transfected, and gene-modified porcine islets were transplanted into the renal capsule of diabetic rats. The survival rates of the xenografts were observed. Changes in serum levels of IL-4 and γ-IFN in the recipients were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survival time of xenografts in the gene-modified porcine islets group was 34.50 ± 4.14 days, which was longer than those in the control group (34.50 ± 4.14 days vs. 7.43 ± 1.72 days and 7.22 ± 1.72 days; P < 0.01). Changes in the serum levels of IL-4 and γ-IFN between the groups of rats post-transplantation indicated the differentiation bias of T helper cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The donor-originated pCTLA-IgG4 fusion protein inhibits the direct pathway of recipient T-cell priming, which might prolong xenograft survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Haitao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiaogang
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bo
mesh_terms: D000069594:Abatacept; D000818:Animals; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D018796:Immunoconjugates / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000276:immunology*; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018796:Immunoconjugates; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000069594:Abatacept