Cellular and humoral immune responses after fresh meniscal allografts in mice. A preliminary report.

To date, no study of allogeneic meniscal transplantation has investigated both the host cellular immune response and the humoral immune response. Using inbred mice, we examined cellular immunity to meniscal allografts by assaying mixed lymphocyte culture and investigated humoral immunity through a complement-dependent cytotoxicity test. The level of the stimulation index of the mixed lymphocyte culture seen after placing fresh meniscal allografts subcutaneously was not significantly higher than when isograft controls were similarly placed. Following placement of the allografts, no specific antibodies were detected in serum throughout the 24-week period after grafting. Thus, in mice, fresh meniscus apparently is not immunogenic. Our results tentatively suggest that a fresh allogeneic meniscus might be transplanted without any special treatment to decrease its immunogenicity.