INVOLVEMENT OF MALE-SPECIFIC MINOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY ANTIGEN H-Y IN EPIDERMAL EQUIVALENT ALLOGRAFT-REJECTION

This study describes the involvement of male-specific minor histocompa tibility antigen H-Y in vitro cultured epidermal equivalent (EE) rejec tion. Male and female Balb/c or C3H/HeN keratinocytes were isolated an d cultured separately, Male EE were grafted onto adult male (isografts ) and adult female (H-Y allografts) mice. As controls, Balb/c EE were grafted onto adult C3H/HeN (complete allografts) mice. Fourteen, 21, a nd 30 days postgrafting, histological studies showed well-organized cu taneous tissues with complete basement membranes (laminin and type IV collagen deposition) in H-Y allografts compared to the isografts. This cutaneous organization was altered 150 days postgrafting, which is a sign of the H-Y EE allograft rejection, Complete allografts were total ly rejected 21 days postgrafting, Immunological studies revealed leuco cyte infiltration of H-Y allografts. Significant infiltration was dete cted even 150 days postgrafting. Leucocyte phenotyping revealed the pr esence of Mac-1(+), CD8(+) and CD4(+) cells in the H-Y allografts. Hum oral immune analysis revealed the presence of circulating anti-H-Y all ogeneic keratinocyte cytotoxic antibodies in female recipient sera. Ou r data suggest that male-specific minor histocompatibility antigen H-Y induces cellular and humoral activation of the recipient immune syste m even after grafting EE free of cutaneous active immune cells such as T lymphocytes and Langerhans cells. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.