A Study of the Anti-porcine Endothelial Immunoglobulin and Complement in the Sera of End-stage Renal Failure Patients and End-stage Liver Failure Patients

Abstract

Purpose: Shortage of donor organs is one of the major barriers of clinical organ transplantation. To overcome the shortage, a huge amount of research into xenotransplantation has been done worldwide. The major problem in xenotransplantation

is hyperacute rejection, a rapid and violent rejection that damages the graft within minutes or hours. Hyperacute rejection is mediated by the components of natural immunity, most notably natural antibodies and complements.

Methods: The aim of this study is to explore the quantitative amounts of the natural antibodies and complements in the sera of patential recipients with respect to their diseases. The samples of blood from the 10 patients with end stage renal or liver disease were obtained for the assay of natural xenoreactive antibodies. Natural anti-porcine endothelial antibodies (IgM and IgG) were measured by ELISA with porcine aortic endothelial cells in culture as targets. Quantitative analysis of C3 was also done with the ELISA with porcine endothelial cell in culture.

Results: Optical densities measured with the ELISA for IgM or IgG natural antibodies in the blood from the different three groups (healthy volunteer, renal failure patients, and liver failure patients) to cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells were not statistically (P＞0.05) different among the three groups. Moreover, those for complement (C3) to porcine endothelial cells were not statistically (P＞0.05) different among the groups.

Conclusion: Further efforts should be made toward modifying the technique for removal of specific natural antibodies and complements for the successful xenotransplantation regardless the disease entities of potential recipient candidates.