Intestinal transplantation: laboratory experience and report of a clinical case

The experimental intestinal transplantation in our laboratory and elsewhere is briefly reviewed. Replantation of the entire jejunoileum is compatible with long-term survival of experimental animals. Lymphatic pathways severed during the procedure fully regenerated within a few weeks. Contrary to the implication of earlier studies on this subject, it is now believed that intestinal allografts are rejected in the same manner as other organs, and the rejection response is definitely mitigated by immunosuppressive drugs. There is no conclusive evidence of a graft versus host reaction despite the fact that transplantation of the entire jejunoileum represents a large antigenic mass and transplantation of many mesenteric lymph nodes. The time necessary for regeneration of lymphatic pathways after allotransplantation is different from that after replantation.