Long-term IgG response to porcine Neu5Gc antigens without transmission of PERV in burn patients treated with porcine skin xenografts.
Acellular materials of xenogenic origin are used worldwide as xenografts, and phase I trials of viable pig pancreatic islets are currently being performed. However, limited information is available on transmission of porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) after xenotransplantation and on the long-term immune response of recipients to xenoantigens. We analyzed the blood of burn patients who had received living pig-skin dressings for up to 8 wk for the presence of PERV as well as for the level and nature of their long term (maximum, 34 y) immune response against pig Ags. Although no evidence of PERV genomic material or anti-PERV Ab response was found, we observed a moderate increase in anti-αGal Abs and a high and sustained anti-non-αGal IgG response in those patients. Abs against the nonhuman sialic acid Neu5Gc constituted the anti-non-αGal response with the recognition pattern on a sialoglycan array differing from that of burn patients treated without pig skin. These data suggest that anti-Neu5Gc Abs represent a barrier for long-term acceptance of porcine xenografts. Because anti-Neu5Gc Abs can promote chronic inflammation, the long-term safety of living and acellular pig tissue implants in recipients warrants further evaluation.
Department of Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow G4 0BA, United Kingdom.
Linda
L
Scobie
Vered
V
Padler-Karavani
Stephanie
S
Le Bas-Bernardet
Claire
C
Crossan
Josef
J
Blaha
Magda
M
Matouskova
Ralph D
RD
Hector
Emanuele
E
Cozzi
Bernard
B
Vanhove
Beatrice
B
Charreau
Gilles
G
Blancho
Ludovic
L
Bourdais
Mariachiara
M
Tallacchini
Juan M
JM
Ribes
Hai
H
Yu
Xi
X
Chen
Jitka
J
Kracikova
Ludomir
L
Broz
Jiri
J
Hejnar
Pavel
P
Vesely
Yasuhiro
Y
Takeuchi
Ajit
A
Varki
Jean-Paul
JP
Soulillou
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D015478:Antigens, Heterophile / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D002056:Burns / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000276:immunology*; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D013552:Swine; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000009:adverse effects*
D015478:Antigens, Heterophile; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012794:Sialic Acids