Mechanism of the rejection of major histocompatibility complex class I-disparate murine skin grafts: rejection can be mediated by CD4+ cells activated by allo-class I + II antigen in CD8+ cell-depleted hosts.

In the preceding article, we analyzed the immunohistochemical rejection mechanism of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I (H-2K)-disparate murine skin grafts, and showed that only CD8+ cells infiltrated at the site of the epithelial tissue of MHC class I-disparate graft. We also showed that perfect survival of MHC class I-disparate grafts were attained in thymectomized recipients treated with anti-Lyt-2 monoclonal antibody. In this report, we showed that these long-surviving allo-class I grafts were rejected in the absence of CD8+ cells by stimulation with allo-MHC class I + II-disparate graft as the second stimulation. Furthermore, it was immunohistochemically revealed that under that condition, a large number of CD4+ cells infiltrated into the epithelial tissue of these long-surviving class I grafts, which were going to be rejected 2-5 d after the transplantation of a second graft with MHC class I + II difference. This result directly shows that CD4+ cells are able to became effectors for the rejection of allo-MHC class I (H-2K) skin graft.