Histopathology of skin allograft rejection in larvalRana catesbeiana

✍ Scribed by Baculi, Buena S. ;Cooper, Edwin L.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1970
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 970 KB
• Volume: 173
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-104X
• DOI: 10.1002/jez.1401730311

✦ Synopsis

First-and second-set skin allografts were exchanged and single autograft controls performed in American bullfrog larvae a t 25 -c 1°C. Rejected allografts, along with lymph glands, thymus, spleen, liver, kidney and intestine, were examined for histopathologic changes. First-set survival times showed a range of 18-23 days and rejection was initiated by dissemination of pigment cells throughout the epidermis. Breakdown of the epidermis and invasion of the dermis by lymphocytes and fibroblasts began during the first week. Concomitant with breakdown during the second week, re-epithelialization of the graft periphery and formation of a new, highly cellular dermis occurred. The dermis was the last to be destroyed, which prior to its destruction appeared initially as a thick, homogeneous, eosinophilic, almost acellular mass, gradually replaced by a cellular connective tissue. Increased numbers of mitoses, large lymphocytes and blast cells appeared in the lymph glands, spleen and liver prior to cellular infiltrations of allografts; small lymphocytes, however, still predominated. Eosinophils became prominent in the epidermis, kidneys and liver during the early stages of rej ec tion.

Second-set survival ranged from 7-10 days and rejection was much more abridged with less congestion. Although the onset of rejection was variable, once it was initiated the process went to completion acutely. Lymphocytic and fibroblastic reactions were more intense than in first-set rejection; small lymphocytes were quite prominent in lymph glands, spleen, liver and intestine. Lymphoid follicles in the liver and intestinal wall were generally larger than in the first-set group. All control autografts were normal, intact skin; the control sections through intestines showed very minimal lymphocytic accumulations.