Mixed Lymphocyte Culture Tests Research Articles

Allogeneic and xenogeneic response in mixed leukocyte cultures.

The mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) test has been regarded as an in vitro model of the recognition or sensitization phase of the homograft or graft-versus-host reaction. It has been suggested that the graft-versus-host response in vivo is less in xenogeneic combinations than in allogeneic ones and that there is a similar quantitative relationship in MLC responses. Given the above interpretation of the MLC test, this could suggest that the lesser reactivity in xenogeneic combinations may be due to a lesser recognition of the stimulus. We have done nine experiments testing allogeneic and xenogeneic combinations in MLC, largely in combinatorial fashion. The results indicate that the response in xenogeneic MLC may be as great as that in allogeneic MLC and that, as in different allogeneic mixtures, there is great variation in the extent to which xenogeneic mixtures may respond.

Rejection of an HL-A identical renal transplant.

A 38‐year‐old man suffering from chronic glomerulonephritis received a kidney from his HL—A identical sister. The HL—A identity was fully established by tissue typing with well‐specified antisera and by mixed lymphocyte culture tests. One year after transplantation kidney function deteriorated, and repeated biopsies of the transplant, I131‐Hippuran renography, and arteriography showed that the kidney was undergoing a chronic rejection. It is suggested that incompatibilities with regard to weak histocompatibility systems might have been responsible for the rejection of a human kidney.

Response of HL-A identical unrelated individuals in the mixed lymphocyte culture test.

The immunological responsiveness as measured in the mixed lymphocyte culture test has been studied in 13 pairs of HL-A identical unrelated individuals. In all combinations stimulation occurred and it was frequently of a similar magnitude to that observed against non-HL-A identical subjects.It is postulated that another locus, adjacent to the HL-A locus, is also responsible for the non-stimulation observed between HL-A identical siblings, and that observations made in the related situation should not be transposed to the unrelated situation without some reservation.

MIXED-LYMPHOCYTE-CULTURE AND SKIN-GRAFT DATA IN UNRELATED HL-A IDENTICAL INDIVIDUALS

Skin-grafts have been exchanged between 11 unrelated HL-A identical donor/recipient pairs. Survival of grafts was slightly but significantly longer (mean=11·4 days) than that of grafts between non-identical, unrelated individuals (mean=10.0 days), but was much shorter than that between identical siblings (mean=18·9 days). Mixed lymphocyte culture (M.L.C.) tests were performed and two of nine HL-A identical unrelated donor/recipient pairs did not stimulate. This identity was confirmed by negative M.L.C. tests between the two donors, but did not seem to correlate with graft survival.