Abstracts Health Sciences

Allogeneic and xenogeneic cytotoxic antibodies in man.

by Jung H. Oh

Studies were made of in vitro cytotoxicity of human serum on rat bone marrow and spleen cells (xenogeneic system) as well as human lymphocytes (allogeneic system). Cytotoxicity was measured by trypan blue staining and C14-uridine incorporation. Human serum donors were classified into two categories: (a) those without previous exposure to human tissue antigens and (b) those possibly presensitized by means of pregnancy, blood transfusion, hemodialysis or renal allograft. All sera from the first group showed natural xenogeneic cytotoxicity but no allogeneic lymphocytotoxicity. Among sera from the second group, some exerted excessive xenogeneic cytotoxicity (heterophile phenomenon) as well as allogeneic lymphocytotoxicity. Allogeneic lymphocytotoxic antibodies present in renal allograft recipients were found extremely detrimental to grafts when a crossmatch with donor's lymphocytes was positive, but seemed to reveal a high degree of histocompatibility when the test was negative. A panel of allogeneic lymphocytotoxic sera originated from multiparous females was found re1iable in determining individual lymphocyte alloantigen profiles.