Immunogenetic factors in the survival of ovarian transplants.

Abstract

SUMMARY Genetic and immunological factors which affect the survival of heterotopically grafted ovaries were studied in inbred mice. It was shown that when donor and recipient differed by the K region antigen, H-2.31, transplants had a median function time (MFT) of 9.5 days as determined by vaginal smears and confirmed by histological examination. Injections of recipients with mouse anti-H-2.31 serum increased the MFT to 18.5 days (passive enhancement), but pretreatment of hosts with lyophilized donor lymphoid tissue (active enhancement) could not be shown to effect graft survival significantly. In experiments where donor and recipient differed by a single D region antigen, H-2.32, transplants had an MFT of 13.5 days. When an H-4 difference was studied, ovarian grafts had an MFT of 15.5 days but 2 out of 14 grafts were still functioning 50 days after transplantation. Nine out of nine ovarian grafts in a combination involving an H-l difference were likewise functioning 50 clays after transplantation. These results show that ovarian implants in mice behave as skin grafts and heart transplants—which have short-term survival that can be passively enhanced—rather than as kidney transplants, which have survived indefinitely.