Involvement of Male-Specific Minor Histocompatibility Antigen H-Y in Epidermal Equivalent Allograft Rejection

• Main Authors: Marie-Josée Beaulieu, Hui Li, Julie Bergeron, Geneviève Ross, François A. Auger, Mahmoud Rouabhia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 1998-01-01
• Series: Cell Transplantation
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1177/096368979800700104

This study describes the involvement of male-specific minor histocompatibility antigen H-Y in vitro cultured epidermal equivalent (EE) rejection. Male and female Balb/c or C3H/HeN keratinocytes were isolated and cultured separately. Male EE were grafted onto adult male (isografts) and adult female (H-Y allografts) mice. As controls, Balb/c EE were grafted onto adult C3H/HeN (complete allografts) mice. Fourteen, 21, and 30 days postgrafting, histological studies showed well-organized cutaneous tissues with complete basement membranes (laminin and type IV collagen deposition) in H-Y allografts compared to the isografts. This cutaneous organization was altered 150 days postgrafting, which is a sign of the H-Y EE allograft rejection. Complete allografts were totally rejected 21 days postgrafting. Immunological studies revealed leucocyte infiltration of H-Y allografts. Significant infiltration was detected even 150 days postgrafting. Leucocyte phenotyping revealed the presence of Mac-1 + , CD8 + and CD4 + cells in the H-Y allografts. Humoral immune analysis revealed the presence of circulating anti-H-Y allogeneic keratinocyte cytotoxic antibodies in female recipient sera. Our data suggest that male-specific minor histocompatibility antigen H-Y induces cellular and humoral activation of the recipient immune system even after grafting EE free of cutaneous active immune cells such as T lymphocytes and Langerhans cells.