title: Human immune-cell response towards diverse xenogeneic and allogeneic decellularized biomaterials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Immunological knowledge on processed biological implants and mesh-prostheses is still mainly based on animal models, lacking information on the species-specific human immune response. We hypothesized that in contrast to human tissue even decellularized xenogenic specimens would lead to significant and tissue source dependent human immune reactions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Specimens from processed allogenic and xenogenic pulmonary arteries, pericardium or dermis, were co-cultured with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC). Proliferative responses were measured in tritiated thymidine incorporation assays (n = 10). Stimulation indices (SI), calculated as counts-per-minute of co-cultured PBMNC divided by the cpm of basic cell proliferation, were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to native porcine pulmonary artery tissue decellularization significantly reduced human PBMNC proliferation (mean SI: 48.7 vs. 18.0, p < 0.01), which was still higher compared to the human equivalent (SI: 0.7 vs. 1.7). Also the processed human dermal implant did not elicit immune response (SI: 1.5), whereas the decellularized and cross-linked porcine dermis lead to a significant human cell-proliferation (SI: 8.4, p < 0.01). Interestingly, both the processed human (SI: 15.2) and bovine pericardial patches (SI: 15.1) led to higher immune cell proliferation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even decellularized or cross-linked xenogenic cardiovascular and reconstructive biomaterials elicit increased human immune responses not seen in the majority of allogenic specimens tested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rieder
authors.affiliation: Surgical Research Laboratories, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Anneliese
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steinacher-Nigisch
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, University Hospital, Innsbruck, Austria. Electronic address: guenter.weigel@tirol-kliniken.at.
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Weigel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002417:Cattle; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000166:cytology; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000166:cytology; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology; D013552:Swine; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials
keywords: Biological mesh; Immune response; Tissue engineering