Identification of human connective tissue in transplant of human oral mucosa in nude mice.

The present study describes a method for identification of connective tissue of human oral mucosal transplants in nude mice. The method was based on the development of a murine antiserum to human fibroblasts. After absorption with murine fibroblasts the antiserum in an immunofluorescence method appeared to react specifically with human connective tissue of frozen sections, whereas the antiserum did not react with murine connective tissue. The antiserum, applied to frozen sections of human oral mucosal transplants in nude mice, could distinguish between human and murine connective tissue in the sections. The ability to distinguish between the two types of tissue was utilized to elucidate a possible relation between epithelial morphology and underlying type of connective tissue. It was found that the formation of rete ridges of transplanted human oral epithelium was dependent on the presence of subepithelial human connective tissue. The method described may be useful for the recognition of human tissue in experimental studies of human transplants to other species.