[Extension of graft survival time by means of a modification of the treatment with autologous blood].

A modification of the therapy with patients' own blood was achieved by the application of blood components together with an adjuvant. In a defined experimental rat model it was to be clarified whether it is possible to sensitize animals with an antibody directed against skin together with an adjuvant, in order to produce an anti-antibody, which is able to protect a consecutive skin graft from rejection. In a similar way animals were sensitized with cells from rats previously immunized against skin from the donor. By this treatment it is possible to improve survival time of skin grafts. Whereas the prolongation of survival time after pretreatment with skin antibodies can be explained by an anti-antibody, which was found in the serum of the animals, such an anti-antibody could not be detected in the serum of animals, pretreated with "sensitized" cells. Possibly the treatment with cells induces an unspecific effect, which can be achieved also with normal cells. It is conceivable that this principle of the prolongation of skin graft survival time by immunization with certain components of the blood is not only useful in transplantation immunology, but also in other diseases, i.e. autoimmune diseases or allergic reactions.