The Bacterial Induction of Homograft Sensitivity

Abstract

Heat-killed strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus albus can induce in guinea pigs a state of altered reactivity to skin homografts which is indistinguishable from that which results from sensitization with homologous tissues or Group A streptococci. Challenge of suitably prepared recipients with first-set skin homografts obtained from unrelated randomly selected donors elicits white graft reactions or accelerated rejection of such grafts. Other bacteria tested included Lancefield streptococcal groups B, C, D, E, G, H, L, and O, pneumococcus Types II, III, XIV and a rough strain, Corynebacterium xerosis, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Aerobacter aerogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, Proteus vulgaris, Neisseria catarrhalis, Haemophilus influenzae, and two human virulent strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. None of these microorganisms was active in the induction of homograft sensitivity in the guinea pig. Pretreatment of recipients with Gram-negative bacterial suspensions was associated with a slight increase in the mean survival time of first-set skin homografts. Results of this study suggest the presence in staphylococci, as well as in Group A streptococci, of antigens related in their biologic effects to tissue transplantation antigens.

Heterophile antibodies in human transplantation

“…In addition, the demonstration that heat-killed group A streptococci induce in mice, rats, guinea pigs, and rabbits a state of hypersensitivity to skin allografts, which is indistinguishable from that resulting from pretreatment of the recipients with allogeneic tissues (26)(27)(28)(29)(30), has provided evidence that stimulation by heterologous antigens may be operative in conditioning host responses to tissue transplants.…”

Renal Homotransplantation in Rats

“…Recently Chase and Rapoport have reported accelerated destruction of skin grafts in animals previously primed with bacterial antigens (13,14). The implication was that some ubiquitous bacteria might have antigenic components similar or identical with antigenic components in host tissues.…”

Erythrocytes in human transplantation: effects of pretreatment with ABO group-specific antigens

“…Three The ability of soluble antigens isolated from hog (A substance) and horse (B substance) stomachs to induce allograft sensitivity in man broadens the range of heterologous antigens implicated in the induction of mammalian transplantation responses. In this regard, the results may be pertinent to Brent, Medawar, and Ruszkiewicz's description of serologic cross-reactions between soluble A substance, pneumococcal polysaccharide, and the H-2 antigens of the mouse (46), and to the observation that group A streptococci and staphylococci can induce strong allograft sensitivity in rodents (47)(48)(49)(50)(51). The results are also in harmony with the recent detection of heterophile hemagglutinins directed against sheep, guinea pig, and rat erythrocytes in recipients of human transplantation antigens (52).…”