title: Influence of Interferon-γ Deficiency in Immune Tolerance Induced by Male Islet Transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traditionally, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) was regarded as a pro-inflammatory cytokine, however, recent reports suggested role of IFN-γ in immune tolerance. In our previous report, we could induce tolerance to male antigen (HY) just by male islet transplantation in wild type C57BL/6 mice without any immunological intervention. We tried to investigate the influence of IFN-γ deficiency on tolerance induction by male islet transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  To examine the immunogenicity of male tissue in the absence of IFN-γ, we transplanted male IFN-γ knock-out (KO) skin to female IFN-γ KO mice. Next, we analyzed male IFN-γ KO islet to streptozotocin-induced diabetic female IFN-γ KO mice. And, we checked the functionality of grafted islet by graft removal and insulin staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As our previous results in wild type C57BL/6 mice, female IFN-γ KO mice rejected male IFN-γ KO skin within 29 days, and did not reject male IFN-γ KO islet. The maintenance of normal blood glucose level was dependent on the presence of grafted male islet. And the male islet recipient did not reject 2nd challenge of male islet graft also.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Deficiency of IFN-γ does not have influence on the result of male skin graft and male islet transplantation. Conclusively, male islet transplantation induced T cell tolerance is not dependent on the presence of IFN-γ.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-799, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Youngkyoung
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Chung-Gyu
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Park