TREATMENT OF CARDIAC ALLOGRAFTS WITH ESTABLISHED LEUKOCYTE INFILTRATION BY MODULATION OF ALPHA-4 (CD49D) AND LEUKOCYTE FUNCTION-ASSOCIATED ANTIGEN-1 (CD11A CD18) INTEGRIN FUNCTION/
Bmc. Chan et al., TREATMENT OF CARDIAC ALLOGRAFTS WITH ESTABLISHED LEUKOCYTE INFILTRATION BY MODULATION OF ALPHA-4 (CD49D) AND LEUKOCYTE FUNCTION-ASSOCIATED ANTIGEN-1 (CD11A CD18) INTEGRIN FUNCTION/, Transplantation, 66(3), 1998, pp. 277-283
Background Leukocyte infiltration is a landmark feature of organ rejec
tion. The present study was undertaken to determine whether monoclonal
antibodies (mAb) against alpha 4 (CD49d) and/or leukocyte function-as
sociated antigen-1 (LFA-1; CD11a/CD18) would reverse ongoing rejection
in a mouse C57BL/6-to-BALB/c heart transplant model. Methods. Control
animals had rejection on postoperative day (POD) 8, Treatment with mA
b started on POD 4 when leukocyte infiltration was well established, T
he recipients were treated with (1) mAb LFA-1, (2) m4b alpha 4, and (3
) mAbs LFA-1 + alpha 4 at a dose of 6 mg/kg/day i.v. on PODs 4, 5, and
7. Untreated and rat IgG-treated animals were used as controls. Resul
ts. Control animals experienced rejection on POD 8, Treatment with mAb
against LFA-1 or alpha 4 alone prolonged allograft survival to 17.0+/
-3.2 and 24.3+/-4.6 days, respectively (P<0.01 vs. controls). Combinat
ion therapy with both mAb increased allograft survival to 28.2+/-3.7 d
ays (P<0.01 vs. controls). Sequential pathological studies showed the
mAb to alpha 4, but not LFA-1, markedly reduced the degree of lymphocy
tic infiltration in cardiac allografts, In contrast, a different patte
rn was observed using in vitro studies: mAb to LFA-1, not alpha 4, sig
nificantly reduced proliferative responses in mixed lymphocyte culture
and interleukin-2 production from recipient splenocytes on POD 8. Con
clusion. These data indicate that integrins play an important role in
rejection. Although the effect of mAb against alpha 4 and LFA-1 may in
volve different mechanisms, treatment with mAbs to integrins may be va
luable in future clinical transplantation by averting ongoing rejectio
n and prolonging graft survival.