Donor B cells in splenic follicles of experimental pulmonary allograft recipients

• Published in: Langenbeck's archives of surgery 2008-03, Vol.393 (2), p.219-226
• Main Authors: Grau, Veronika, Fuchs-Moll, Gabriele, Krasteva, Gabriela, Hirschburger, Markus, Steiniger, Birte, Padberg, Winfried
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdominal Surgery; Animals; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; B-Lymphocytes - pathology; Cardiac Surgery; Cell Migration Assays, Leukocyte; General Surgery; Graft Rejection - immunology; Graft Rejection - pathology; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II - analysis; Kidney Transplantation - immunology; Kidney Transplantation - pathology; Leukocyte Common Antigens; Lung Transplantation - immunology; Lung Transplantation - pathology; Lymphocyte Count; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Article; Prognosis; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Spleen - immunology; Spleen - pathology; Thoracic Surgery; Tissue Donors; Transplantation, Homologous; Traumatic Surgery; Vascular Surgery
• ISSN: 1435-2443; 1435-2451
• DOI: 10.1007/s00423-007-0195-0

Background After transplantation, passenger leukocytes move to lymphoid organs of the recipient. These cells appear to initiate allograft rejection, but they also might be involved in tolerance induction. Materials and methods Orthotopic left lung transplantation was performed in the Dark Agouti to Lewis rat strain combination with no immunosuppression. Recipient spleens were removed at intervals of 24 h until day 6 after transplantation. For comparison, spleens from renal allograft recipients were analysed. Donor-derived major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigens were detected by monoclonal antibody OX76. In double-staining experiments with antibodies specific for leukocyte subpopulations, their localisation and identity was analysed. Results OX76-positive leukocytes were already detected in recipient spleens on day 1 post-transplantation. They increased in number until day 3 and decreased in number thereafter. Most of them were localised in splenic follicles and expressed the B cell variant of CD45R and IgG. Cell surface antigens typical for other leukocyte subpopulations were not detected. In the spleens of renal allograft recipients, only few donor-derived cells were seen. Conclusion After lung transplantation, numerous MHC class II-positive B cells migrate to the splenic follicles of the recipient. These cells might, in part, be responsible for immunologic differences observed between renal and pulmonary allografts.