Abstract
Substantial evidence has accumulated to suggest that in the near future implementation of the veto-cell-suppressor concept in the treatment of kidney allograft recipients might lead to the establishment of life-long specific allograft tolerance in the absence of further immunosuppressive therapy. Veto suppression prevents the generation of antigen-specific T-helper and cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vitro provided that the T-lymphocyte precursors specifically recognize antigenic peptides associated with the major histocompatibility complex molecules class II and class I, respectively, expressed on the surface of the veto-active cell. Data from a large number of experimental and clinical studies strongly indicate that veto-active cells function in vivo and are capable of preventing allograft rejection. Thus, donor-cell-mediated veto activity is the most likely explanation for the well-known graft tolerizing effect of pretransplant donor blood transfusions in kidney graft recipients. A prerequisite for a veto-active environment in vivo is the establishment of lymphoid microchimerism, in which veto-active donor and recipient cells mutually downregulate potential alloaggression.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Tidsskrift | Acta Pathologica Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica |
| Vol/bind | 106 |
| Udgave nummer | 3 |
| Sider (fra-til) | 345-53 |
| Antal sider | 9 |
| ISSN | 0903-4641 |
| Status | Udgivet - 1 mar. 1998 |