Superacute xenogenic rejection: attempted treatment with anti-idiotypic antibodies
Salamé, E.; Chereau, C.; Calmus, Y.; Ayani, E.; Houssin, D.; Weill, B.
Presse Medicale 21(41): 1945-1946
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0755-4982 PMID: 1294946 Document Number: 396925
Heart xenotransplantation in the guinea-pig to rat model, a highly discordant combination, is invariably followed by a hyperacute rejection of the graft. Preformed IgMs were shown to be responsible for the destruction of the graft by stimulating the complement cascade. We tried to inhibit preformed antibodies, before transplantation, by inducing anti-idiotypic antibodies using autologous Fab' mu specific for guinea-pig endothelial cells. This treatment seems to exert a neutralizing effect on xenogeneic hyperimmunization, against guinea-pig endothelial cells but not against preformed anti-guinea-pig antibodies.