Prevention of Graft-Versus-Host Disease by Intrathymic Injection of Recipient-Type Splenocytes into Donor
November 1996
in “
Transplantation
”
Studysummary This study found that intrathymic injection of recipient-type splenocytes into donor rats, combined with antilymphocyte antiserum, effectively prevented graft-versus-host disease for up to 300 days.
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The study demonstrated that graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) could be prevented by inducing tolerance in graft donors through intrathymic injection of recipient-type splenocytes. In a model using Lewis rat lymphocytes injected into (Lewis×Brown Norway)F1 rats, five treatment groups were tested. Notably, group 4, which received both antilymphocyte antiserum (ALS) intraperitoneally and an intrathymic allograft, showed no signs of GVHD in all 14 hosts for up to 300 days. This indicated that the thymic route was more effective than the intravenous route for inducing tolerance, and a single ALS injection was crucial for eliminating the donor's antihost response.
