ATTEMPTS TO INDUCE IMMUNOLOGICAL ENHANCEMENT FOR KIDNEY ALLOGRAFTS IN RHESUS MONKEYS

Abstract

SUMMARY Various rhesus alloantisera were tested for their capacity to induce enhancement of kidney allograft survival in D locus-incompatible rhesus monkeys. Six experimental groups were investigated: 1, ten allografted monkeys remained untreated; 2, six recipients were treated with Imuran and prednisolone; 3, eight rhesus monkeys were treated with a polyspecific “anti-SD” serum; 4, four animals were given oligospecific antikidney serum; 5, four monkeys were treated with oligospecific antiblood serum; and 6, nine recipients were given anti-la-like sera plus immunosuppressive treatment with Imuran and prednisolone. It was found that neither treatment with Imuran and prednisolone nor the administration of any of the alloantisera had a substantial effect on kidney graft survival. However, there appeared to be a difference in renal function among experimental groups. At 6 days after grafting, the mean blood urea level in the group treated with Ia-like antisera was found to be significantly lower than those of all other groups. It is discussed that this favourable effect is attributable to treatment with anti-Ia-like sera and not to the additional factors (conventional immunosuppression and partial matching for Ia-like antigens) occurring in this experimental group.