Abstract
The mechanism of skin allograft rejection has been thought to require presentation of graft antigen by resident epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs). We have previously engineered mice that have a selective and constitutive absence of epidermal LCs. By using donor skin from these LC-deficient mice, we show that LCs are not required for rejection of major (FVB --> B6) or minor (H-Y, male --> female on B6 background) antigen-mismatched skin grafts. On the FVB background, where H-Y mismatched grafts are normally maintained indefinitely, grafts lacking LCs are efficiently rejected. Thus, LCs in the donor graft are required for long-term skin engraftment, which supports a regulatory role for LCs in skin graft acceptance.
Publication types
-
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Animals
-
Antigens, Surface / genetics
-
Antigens, Surface / metabolism
-
Female
-
Graft Rejection / immunology*
-
Graft Rejection / pathology
-
H-Y Antigen / immunology
-
Hypersensitivity, Delayed / immunology
-
Hypersensitivity, Delayed / pathology
-
Langerhans Cells / immunology*
-
Langerhans Cells / pathology
-
Lectins, C-Type / genetics
-
Lectins, C-Type / metabolism
-
Male
-
Mannose-Binding Lectins / genetics
-
Mannose-Binding Lectins / metabolism
-
Mice
-
Mice, Inbred C57BL
-
Mice, Transgenic
-
Models, Animal
-
Sex Characteristics
-
Skin Transplantation / immunology*
-
Skin Transplantation / pathology
-
Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / immunology
Substances
-
Antigens, Surface
-
Cd207 protein, mouse
-
H-Y Antigen
-
Lectins, C-Type
-
Mannose-Binding Lectins
-
Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7