ABSTRACT
The mechanisms underlying liver-induced unresponsiveness are notable for their apparent complexity. This chapter describes the alloantibody response to class I and class II antigens of the rat RT1 complex following liver grafting in the DA into PVG combination, and the appearance of free RT1 antigens in sera of liver-grafted rats. Antibodies against class I and class II donor (RT1a) antigens in sera of DA-grafted PVG rats can be detected by a two-stage binding assay using red cells or lymph-node cells on the congenic strain PVG. Anti-class I antibodies are assayed by red-cell binding. Anti-class II antibodies are assayed by lymph-node cell binding. The antibody response against class I alloantigens in normal PVG recipients of DA liver was followed for several weeks post-transplantation. In PVG rats sensitized against DA antigens by skin grafting, the outcome of DA liver grafting is less predictable. In about half the animals, the liver is rejected, with death of recipients within 34 days of liver transplantation.
