Abstract
Following an allogeneic or xenogeneic organ transplantation, donor-type cells or genetic material can be detected in blood and in peripheral organs or tissues of experimental animals. This phenomenon was first described by the Pittsburgh group in 1992 [10, 51], and it has been suggested that it plays a crucial role for graft acceptance [64, 65]. Shortly after it had been observed in animal models, it was also found in patients following various types of allogeneic organ transplantation, again by Starzl and co-workers [66, 68, 69]. Since then, several studies have been published on this phenomenon in animal models as well as in clinical transplantation by many groups. The results of these studies have basically confirmed the frequent occurrence of microchimerism, but the functional relevance of this phenomenon remains a matter of controversy. In this chapter we will discuss the cellular background and methodological approaches to analysis of graft-associated microchimerism, its kinetics after transplantation, and its potential immunological significance.
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