INFLUENCE OF A SKIN ALLOGRAFT ON FREQUENCIES OF CTL PRECURSOR IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD OF THE DOG

Abstract
Alloantigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and their precursors (CTL-P) were determined in the peripheral blood of skin allografted dogs. CTL-P frequencies increased rapidly after transplantation and reached maximal values after complete rejection of the skin allograft. Differences in the time response kinetics of CTL-P frequencies between recipients were not correlated with the length of graft survival. The CTL-P frequencies declined after days 13-20 and appeared still to be elevated 30 days after rejection of the graft.