Alloantibody-associated chronic rejection of MHC class I-disparate heart grafts is modulated by intravenous soluble donor alloantigen

Increasing evidence suggests that there may be a causal relationship between the development of donor-specific alloantibodies and chronic allograft vasculopathy (CAV). PVG.RT1u rat heart allografts spontaneously undergo chronic rejection when transplanted into unmodified PVG.R8 congenic recipients that differ only at the classical MHC class I RT1.A locus. Here we show that development of vasculopathy in this experimental model is associated with production of a strong anti-Au antibody response. Perioperative intravenous administration of recombinant soluble RT1.Au heavy chain that is sequence identical to donor MHC class I, or chimaeric Au/a (donor/recipient) protein had a variable effect resulting generally in either sensitisation and accelerated rejection, or abrogation of alloantibody and attenuation of chronic rejection. These findings highlight the potential for soluble donor MHC class I alloantigen given at the time of heart transplantation to influence alloantibody production and graft outcome.