EFFECT OF DONOR AGE ON RESPONSE OF SKIN-GRAFTS TO GAMMA-INTERFERON

Background: Failure of aged human epidermis to induce HLA-DR antigens after intradermal administration of gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) has r ecently been observed. Objective: The purpose of the study was to find out whether this observation reflects an intrinsic impairment in the aged skin or is rather due to an environmental factor. Methods: Aged a nd young human skin grafted onto nude mice were injected with IFN-gamm a, and the induction of HLA-DR, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICA M-1) and Langerhans cell (LC) migration patterns were studied. Results : Increased surface expression of both HLA-DR and ICAM-1 molecules by epidermal cells was observed in all grafts, after IFN-gamma injections , whereas a decrease in LC was found only in the young grafts. Conclus ion: This study may indicate that the lack of response of aged skin to LFN-gamma is due to both intrinsic impairment in epidermal cell funct ion and changes in function of cells outside the epidermis such as lym phocytes and endothelial cells.