Studies on the antigenicity of vital allogeneic valve leaflet transplants in immunogenetically controlled strain combinations.

The use of defined inbred strains of rats enables reproducible experimentation on the antigenicity of heart valve leaflet transplantation. The inbred strains CAP, F344, and LEW were used as syngeneic, weakly allogeneic (RT-1-identical) and strongly allogeneic (RT-1-incompatible) strain combinations. After heart valve leaflet transplantation, humoral and cell-mediated immune responses were investigated. The results were: (1) Allogeneic heart valve leaflets are antigenic. (2) Just one heart valve leaflet, applied intravascularly induces sensitization of the recipient. (3) In the weakly allogeneic system, sensitization is only revealed by donor-specific skin transplants, while in the strongly allogeneic group, sensitization is demonstrated humorally as well. (4) The greater the immunogenetical difference, the sooner sensitization appears. In the strongly allogeneic system, skin transplants were rejected as "white grafts".