ANALYSIS OF CHRONIC ALLOGRAFT REACTION IN KIDNEYS BY INTERPHASE CYTOGENETICS AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY WITH REGARD TO DISTRIBUTION OF DONOR AND RECIPIENT CELLS

Chronic rejection is a major problem in contemporary kidney transplant ation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether renal cells are repopulated by extra-renal cells over time or whether the graft re mains permanently allogenic. We studied nine explanted allografted kid neys of sex-mismatched donors by means of non-isotopic in situ hybridi zation (NISH). We used biotinylated centromer-specific DNA probes of t he human chromosomes Y and X. In a further step, monoclonal and polycl onal antibodies against CD45,CD3,CD20,CD31,CD1a,S100, alpha-actin, fac tor VIII and UEA were used to analyse the various infiltrating cell ty pes and the cells involved in allograft arteriopathy. In several cases NISH and immunohistochemistry were combined to facilitate the typing of cells. Our study showed that up to several years after transplantat ion the glomerular, tubular and endothelial cells retained donor origi n. The only cells of recipient origin were the inflammatory cells, pre dominantly macrophages and T lymphocytes.