Antigenic properties of fresh and lyophylised human dura mater.

The action of human fresh and lyophylised human dura mater on rat, rabbit and human serum complement has been analyzed with the aim of confirming and comparing the species-specific antigenicity of both substances. The results demonstrate that both fresh and lyophylised human dura mater induce a complement consumption on rat and rabbit serum. The phenomenon is related to the species-specific antigenic activity of the tissue, and it is only partially decreased by the lyophylisation procedure. The residual antigenic activity, however, doesn't limit the use of this material as a graft for dural defects repairs in humans.