IMMUNOLOGICAL TOLERANCE AND REJECTION OF SKIN ALLOGRAFTS IN THE MARMOSET

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Abstract
The incidence of hematopoietic chimerism in the marmoset is high because fraternal twinning is the rule and a synchorion allows fetal parabiosis. Six reciprocal co-twin pairs assayed for skin graft histocompatibility support the hypothesis that the mechanism producing blood cell chimerism also induces specific tolerance of nonhematopoietic tissue. These experiments are still in progress. The term of the longest experiment is more than 2 years. Histological examination shows no difference between autografts and co-twin grafts. Twenty-six skin allotransplants in inter- and intrasubspecics combinations gave a graft mean survival time (GMST) of 13–64 days, substantiating the white-lipped tamarins' immuncompetence for allograft rejection. The GMST varied with the genetic relationship of the donor to the recipient. When allogeneic skin was exchanged between different subspecies, the GMST was 19 and 24 days. However, GMST was 40 days for allografts exchanged within the same subspecies. Four intraspecies cotton-top tamarin allografts gave a GMST of >58 days. The microscopic architecture of skin allografts that were not rejected acutely was compared to control autografts. The epithelium of some of these allografts was not normal. Second- and third-set graft rejections were accelerated. In vitro tests for postgraft isohemagglutinins and leukoagglutinins were negative even after white graft rejections. The difference between GMST in intra- and intersubspecies combinations can be attributed to histocompatibility gene pool differences. The extended survival of skin transplants in more closely related marmosets may, however, be consequential to breeding among chimeras. Functional mixed germ cells ma}' disseminate and affect, tolerance induction within a deme.

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