FURTHER EVIDENCE AGAINST THE GRAFT‐VERSUS‐HOST HYPOTHESIS IN RENAL TRANSPLANTATION,

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Abstract
SUMMARY: The infiltrating cellular reaction in rejected renal homotransplants has been the subject of scrutiny in this paper. One widely held view has been that these cells are of graft rather than of host origin. Additional evidence favouring the opposite view that the cells are of host origin is here brought forward to supplement the evidence put forward by the present authors in a previous paper.In this study the infiltrating cellular response was examined in two experimental situations – following pre‐treatment of the host with massive doses of nitrogen mustard and following labelling of the host with tritiated thymidine.The cellular infiltration was found to be inhibited by supra‐lethal doses but not by a lethal dose of nitrogen mustard.Following labelling of the host with tritiated thymidine a variable percentage of the infiltrating cells in the rejected kidney showed evidence of labelling. This percentage was low in first‐set transplants but very high in a second‐set transplant, as might be predicted from theoretical considerations. This finding has implications for theoretical immunology beyond the scope of the present enquiry.
Funding Information
  • Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria