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Newborn baboon immunity: lessons in cross-species transplantation.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Michler, RE; O'Hair, DP; Xu, H; Shah, AS; Itescu, S
Published in: Ann Thorac Surg
December 1995

BACKGROUND: The critical shortage of organ donors has greatly limited the number of heart transplantations performed each year. This is particularly true of the newborn patient, for whom xenotransplantation may provide an alternative therapeutic option to allotransplantation. The role of newborn immunity in xenotransplantation is not clearly understood. METHODS: We examined the humoral immune responses of 9 nonimmunosuppressed newborn baboons (900 to 1200 g) aged 28 to 44 days undergoing heterotopic pig heart transplantation. Grafts were explanted between 1 and 87 hours after transplantation. RESULTS: Despite the degree of species, disparity, hyperacute rejection was not observed in any of the nine transplanted grafts. Whole-cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay demonstrated newborn baboon serum to contain very low binding levels of anti-pig natural immunoglobulin M xenoantibody when compared with adult baboon serum. Newborn serum, like adult serum, contained anti-pig natural immunoglobulin G xenoantibody. However, newborn baboon serum was not cytotoxic to pig endothelial cells, suggesting that immunoglobulin M and not immunoglobulin G is the primary xenoreactive antibody. CONCLUSIONS: The low binding levels of anti-pig immunoglobulin M xenoantibody, the absence of cytotoxicity to pig endothelial cells, and the avoidance of hyperacute rejection after heart transplantation suggest that newborn primates may have an immunologic advantage as the recipients of hearts transplanted across species barriers. Whether this advantage can be extended to the human condition is currently being explored in our laboratory.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Ann Thorac Surg

DOI

ISSN

0003-4975

Publication Date

December 1995

Volume

60

Issue

6 Suppl

Start / End Page

S582 / S584

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • Transplantation, Heterologous
  • Transplantation Immunology
  • Swine
  • Respiratory System
  • Papio
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Graft Rejection
  • Antibody Formation
  • Antibodies, Heterophile
  • Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic
 

Citation

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MLA
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Michler, R. E., O’Hair, D. P., Xu, H., Shah, A. S., & Itescu, S. (1995). Newborn baboon immunity: lessons in cross-species transplantation. Ann Thorac Surg, 60(6 Suppl), S582–S584. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-4975(95)00875-6
Michler, R. E., D. P. O’Hair, H. Xu, A. S. Shah, and S. Itescu. “Newborn baboon immunity: lessons in cross-species transplantation.Ann Thorac Surg 60, no. 6 Suppl (December 1995): S582–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-4975(95)00875-6.
Michler RE, O’Hair DP, Xu H, Shah AS, Itescu S. Newborn baboon immunity: lessons in cross-species transplantation. Ann Thorac Surg. 1995 Dec;60(6 Suppl):S582–4.
Michler, R. E., et al. “Newborn baboon immunity: lessons in cross-species transplantation.Ann Thorac Surg, vol. 60, no. 6 Suppl, Dec. 1995, pp. S582–84. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/0003-4975(95)00875-6.
Michler RE, O’Hair DP, Xu H, Shah AS, Itescu S. Newborn baboon immunity: lessons in cross-species transplantation. Ann Thorac Surg. 1995 Dec;60(6 Suppl):S582–S584.
Journal cover image

Published In

Ann Thorac Surg

DOI

ISSN

0003-4975

Publication Date

December 1995

Volume

60

Issue

6 Suppl

Start / End Page

S582 / S584

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • Transplantation, Heterologous
  • Transplantation Immunology
  • Swine
  • Respiratory System
  • Papio
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Graft Rejection
  • Antibody Formation
  • Antibodies, Heterophile
  • Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic