ABSTRACT
Supradiaphragmatic vein grafts were transplanted from ACI (RT1a) to Fisher (RT1(1)) rats to determine whether the endothelium and/or circulating passenger leukocytes were necessary for the induction of an antibody response. Vein grafts from immunosuppressed and irradiated donors induced lymphocytotoxic and hemagglutinating antibody in recipient rats. In addition, IgG antibody produced in Fisher recipients was found by indirect immunofluorescence to donor endothelium. When the endothelium was removed from donor veins either by collagenase or by scraping the intima, no antibody resulted after transplantation. The lymphocytotoxic and hemagglutinating antibodies and the antibodies identified by indirect immunofluorescence were removed by absorbing the Fisher serum in ACI red blood cells. The endothelium seems to be capable of inducing Class I antibodies when allogeneically transplanted as vein grafts.
