Rejection of skin grafts and generation of cytotoxic T cells by mice depleted of L3T4+ cells

In mice, "helper/inducer" T cells can be depleted by treatment with a rat monoclonal antibody to the cell surface antigen, L3T4, which is homologous to the human antigen T4 (CD4). In order to examine the contribution of "helper/inducer" T cells to cellular immunity, C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice were treated weekly with 1 mg i.v. of a monoclonal antibody to L3T4. Three days after the first injection, the mice received skin grafts from BALB/c (H-2d) mice. The mice were then examined for skin graft rejection and for the development of cytotoxic cells. Treatment with anti-L3T4 prolonged skin graft survival from 9 to 18 days. Graft rejection was associated with the development of cellular cytotoxicity against H-2d targets. Cytotoxicity developed despite greater than or equal to 90% depletion of splenic L3T4+ cells. Allospecific cytotoxic T cells could also be generated in vitro from C57BL/6 spleen cells depleted of L3T4+ cells, when these were exposed in a mixed leukocyte culture to irradiated, T-cell-depleted, BALB/c spleen cells. In a mixed leukocyte culture using responder spleen cells from untreated C57BL/6 mice, both proliferation and interleukin 2 production were inhibited in the presence of antibody to L3T4 and, to a lesser extent, by antibody to Lyt-2. Complete inhibition was achieved by the presence of both antibodies. In a mixed leukocyte culture using responder spleen cells from C57BL/6 mice that had been treated with anti-L3T4, both proliferation and interleukin 2 production were inhibited largely by antibody to Lyt-2, although the presence of both anti-Lyt-2 and anti-L3T4 was most inhibitory. These findings indicate that graft rejection and cellular cytotoxicity can be generated in mice depleted of L3T4+ cells by methods that have previously been shown to abrogate humoral immunity. Cellular immunity appears to require few, if any, L3T4+ cells. These findings have implications for the clinical use of antibodies to "helper/inducer" T cells.     

Antisense deoxyoligonucleotides or antibodies to murine MD-1 inhibit rejection of allogeneic and xenogeneic skin grafts in C3H mice

BACKGROUND: Altered expression of murine MD-1, a molecule controlling expression of members of the interleukin (IL)-1 receptor family of signaling proteins, regulates antigen-presenting cell-induced alloreactions. We investigated the effect of treatment with antisense deoxyoligonucleotides or antibodies to MD-1 in vivo on allogeneic and xenogeneic skin graft survival and the immune responses in transplanted mice. METHODS: C3H mice received C57BL/6 or Lewis rat skin grafts, followed by i.v. injections of anti-MD-1 antibody or antisense oligonucleotides or control reagents at 48-hr intervals. Survival was monitored. In separate studies, mice were sacrificed at 5-day intervals. Serum was analyzed for circulating MD-1 antigen, and peritoneal cells for surface expression of MD-1. The proliferative and cytolytic response of lymphocytes harvested from treated animals and restimulated in vitro with allo- or xenogeneic cells, and the cytokines produced, was measured. Graft histology was assessed at 11 days after transplantation. RESULTS: Treatment with anti-MD-1 oligonucleotides or antibodies suppressed rejection of both xeno- and allogeneic grafts, decreased induction of graft-specific cytotoxic T cells, increased production of type-2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10), and decreased production of type-1 cytokines (IL-2 and interferon-gamma). Serum levels of MD-1 were suppressed, as was expression of MD-1 on the surface of antigen-presenting cells. Grafts from MD-1-treated mice showed little lymphocyte infiltration, and no signs of graft necrosis. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest a critical in vivo role for MD-1 expression in regulating graft rejection, as well as in the concomitant sensitization of T cells and their cytokine production profile, which parallels the rejection response.     

The effect of timing of skin grafts on subsequent survival in ALS-treated, marrow-infused mice.

It has previously been shown that the survival of C3H/He skin grafts can be prolonged on ALS-treated (C57 x A)F1 mice by the injection of C3H/He bone marrow cells 7 days after grafting. Experiments have now been done to study the influence of timing of the skin graft on its subsequent survival. Single grafts were placed either before or after marrow was given. Paired grafts on the same animal were also studied, one placed before and one after marrow was given. Grafts placed before marrow was given, whether single or paired, showed equal and significant prolongation while grafts placed after marrow was given showed only slight prolongation compared with ALS controls. Paired grafts showed distinctly different survival curves depending on their time of placement in relation to injection of marrow. The pattern of graft survival suggests that the graft prolongation achieved is attributable to a mechanism similar to enhancement. Experiments were also done to see whether a state of preexisting immunity to the skin graft donor induced by the injection of marrow could be manipulated to achieve prolonged graft survival. (C57 x A)F1 mice were treated with ALS, given injections of C3H/He marrow, and grafted 56 days later with C3H/He skin either with or without additional ALS at the time of grafting. If no ALS was given grafts were rejected in accelerated fashion, indicating that the previous injection of marrow had sensitized the recipient. With additional ALS, the prolongation of graft survival achieved far exceeded that seen using our standard protocol of skin grafting a week before marrow is given. This represents one of the first demonstrations of positive alteration of a preexisting state of immunity to achieve graft prolongation which exceeds that expected by giving ALS immunosuppression alone to a presensitized animal.     

Split-thickness skin grafts from the junctional skin of the arch

This article presents a technique for obtaining a split-thickness graft from the junctional skin of the arch. This anatomic area is easily accessed and readily utilized as a split-thickness skin donor site. Junctional skin is similar in durability to plantar skin and responds well to weight-bearing and ambulation stress. The results in a series of 21 patients are presented.     

Allogeneic versus semiallogeneic F1 bone marrow transplantation into sublethally irradiated MHC-disparate hosts. Effects on mixed lymphoid chimerism, skin graft tolerance, host survival, and alloreactivity

In models of tolerance associated with mixed lymphoid chimerism, depletion of Thy 1+ cells from the allogeneic donor inoculum may decrease the level of chimerism achieved and the capacity of donor cells to induce tolerance. To determine whether the apparent role of Thy 1+ cells in the facilitation of bone marrow engraftment and induction of skin graft tolerance is related to alloaggression, the capacity of fully allogeneic C57BL/6J, H-2b BM cells to establish mixed lymphoid chimerism and skin graft tolerance in sublethally irradiated (2.5 Gy x 3) BALB/c, H-2d hosts was compared with that of semi-allogeneic BALB/c x C57BL/6J F1 H-2d/b BM cells which genetically lack the potential for graft-versus-host reactivity against parental recipients. The levels of mixed chimerism observed with allogeneic and semi-allogeneic F1 BM cells were nearly identical: 21.0 +/- 9.7% of spleen cells in H-2b BM-injected and 18.6 +/- 8.8% of spleen cells in H-2d/b BM-injected H-2d hosts were of donor allotype. There was no difference in the fraction of hosts rendered tolerant to C57BL/6J, H-2b skin grafts by H-2b vs. H-2d/b BM at either excess (94% vs. 92% tolerant) or threshold (37% vs. 40% tolerant) numbers of donor cells. Spleen cells from both types of mixed chimeras failed to respond to donor antigens in MLR. Both H-2b and H-2d/b BM-injected H-2d hosts rejected third party C3H/HeJ, H-2k skin grafts and responded to third party stimulators in MLR. Although these nonspecific allo-immune responses were not as strong as the responses of normal animals, they were suppressed to an equivalent degree in both types of chimeras. Graft-versus-host disease, if present in irradiated H-2b BM-injected hosts, did not significantly affect survival compared with survival of irradiated H-2d/b BM-injected animals. These results suggest that the tolerizing capacity of allogeneic BM does not depend upon GVHD and that allogeneic and semi-allogeneic BM establish mixed lymphoid chimerism and induce skin graft tolerance by similar mechanisms across a complete MHC disparity in sublethally irradiated adult hosts.