1994 Volume 8 Issue 5 Pages 548-554
The present study was carried out to investigate the expression of MHC antigens using immunohistochemical staining on transplanted lungs and recipient's spleens of three single lung allo-transplanted Japanese monkeys during the subchronic period after operation.
The immunosuppressant FK506 was given during postoperative period, but no steroid.
Regarding the immunohistochemical study, ABC-GO method using anti-human HLA-A, B, C (class 1) and HLA-DR, HLA-DP and HLA-DQ (class 11) antibodies was applied for the staining. To determine the enhanced expression on the transplanted monkey cells, the specimens of a normal monkey were used as a control.
Among these human antibodies, HLA-A, B, C and HLA-DR antibodies have cross-reacted with Japanese monkey cells, but not antibodies including HLA-DP and HLA-DQ.
Expression of MHC class 1 antigen was consistently increased on alveolar and bronchial epithelia of the transplanted lungs in contrast to a variable expression on the normal lung or on the recipient's lung.
MHC class 11 antigen was expressed more intensely on alveolar, bronchial epithelia and vascular endothelia of the transplanted lung than those on the normal monkey.
There was no significant difference in staining intensity between the trasplanted lung and the recipient's lung.
In the recipient's spleen, expression of MHC class 1 and class 11 antigens were always increased, especially expression of MHC class 11 antigen was more conspicuous.
From these results, it was concluded that there was the enhanced expression of MHC antigens on epithelial and endothelial cells of the transplanted lung and on the recipient's spleen cells during the subchronic period after lung allo-transplantation. These phenomena suggest a sustaining stimulated immune response during the subchronic period after lung allotransplantation even if an immunosuppressant was given after transplantation.
