Effect of donor specific transfusion (DST) is restricted to the rat combination used and closely related with alloantibody in heart transplantation

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Abstract
Summary: The effect of donor specific transfusion (DST) in several donor‐recipient combinations was examined using the rat heart transplantation model. In some donor‐recipient combinations such as LEW to DA, LEW to ACI, LEW to PVG and PVG to DA, DST pretreatment could induce permanent graft survival (>100 days). But in DA to LEW, ACI to LEW, LEW to BN, BN to LEW, PVG to LEW and BN to DA combinations DST pretreatment had no effect on graft survival. The effect of pre‐immunization with several DA antigens (heart, liver, lymph node cells and red blood cells) was examined using the DA to LEW combination in which DST pretreatment was not effective. In no case was permanent graft survival obtained. Alloantibody levels (anti‐class I and anti‐class I + II, respectively) were analysed at the time of heart transplantation and in the post‐transplantation period. The anti‐class I antibody levels were low or not detected in rats with surviving grafts, but in the rats which failed to have the prolonged graft survival, anti‐class I antibody levels were high. This study showed that the effect of DST was restricted to particular donor‐recipient rat combination in the heart transplantation model.