AUTOGRAFT REJECTION .I. EFFECT OF PRIOR TRANSPLANTATION TO ALLOGENEIC AND XENOGENEIC HOSTS

Skin autograft rejection in rats is described. Grafts were transplanted to autogeneic, allogeneic, xenogeneic, or specifically sensitized allogeneic hosts and, after 24 or 48 hr, were retransplanted to the original donor. Whereas 92% of auto-autografts were accepted, allo-autografts and xeno-autografts were accepted in only 45% and 36%, respectively. All autografts, transferred to presensitized allogeneic hosts for 24 hr, were rejected following retransplantation to the original donor. The mechanism of autograft rejection in our experimental model is uncertain. It is probably dependent upon an immune response of the definite host against humoral and/or cellular factors of intermediate host origin. © 1969 by The Williams and Wilkins Co.