Correlation between Graft‐Versus‐Host Induced Immunosuppression and Host Natural Killer Cell Activity in Small Bowel Transplantation

• Published in: World journal of surgery 1996-10, Vol.20 (8), p.1041-1051
• Main Authors: Fändrich, Fred, Schröder, Jörg, Exner, Beate, Papachrysanthou, Athanasios, Peters, Jochen, Chambers, William, Zavazava, Nicholas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AIDS/HIV; Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal - administration & dosage; CD4-CD8 Ratio; Cell Division; Graft vs Host Disease - immunology; Graft vs Host Disease - mortality; Graft vs Host Disease - pathology; Immune Tolerance - immunology; Intestine, Small - immunology; Intestine, Small - transplantation; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Male; Mesenteric Lymph Node; Natural Killer; Natural Killer Activity; Natural Killer Cell; Natural Killer Cell Activity; Rats; Rats, Inbred Lew; Spleen - immunology; Spleen - pathology; Transplantation, Heterotopic - immunology; Transplantation, Heterotopic - mortality; Transplantation, Heterotopic - pathology
• ISSN: 0364-2313; 1432-2323
• DOI: 10.1007/s002689900159

The occurrence of graft‐versus‐host disease (GvHD) following small bowel transplantation (SBTx) can be tuned by the recipient’s initial natural killer (NK) cell activity, which modifies the immunogeneic balance between donor and host immunocompetent cells. This study was aimed to investigate the role of host NK cells on the incidence and severity of GvHD following SBTx. Intraperitoneal administration of 50 μl ascites fluid of the highly specific anti‐NKR‐P1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) 3.2.3 into F1 recipient animals on three consecutive days prior to SBTx was performed to suppress NK activity in F1 hybrids. In vivo treatment with 3.2.3 mAb effectively depleted recipient NK activitiy for at least 10 days in spleens and mesenteric lymph nodes of F1 hosts. In contrast to nontreated F1 recipients, all 3.2.3 mAb‐pretreated F1 animals suffered from severe signs of GvHD, and the mean survival time was decreased significantly from 16.0 ± 0.9 days to 11.0 ± 0.8 days (p< 0.01) in nontreated and NKR‐P1‐depleted F1 animals, respectively. Other sequelae included earlier onset of GvH manifestations, pronounced damage of primary and secondary lymphatic organs, substantial increase in spleen index, and lower CD4+/CD8+ratios over the course of progressing GvHD. Our results underline the important immunoregulatory role of NK cells as a first defensive line acting on the alloreactivity of donor‐derived immunocompetent cells in this model of solid organ transplantation.