Analysis of parathyroid graft rejection suggests alloantigen-specific production of nitric oxide by iNOS-positive intragraft macrophages

Abstract Background During acute rejection of organ or tissue allografts T cells and macrophages are dominant infiltrating cells. CD4-positive T cells are important for the induction of allograft rejection and macrophages are important effector cells mediating cytotoxicity via production of nitric oxide (NO) by the inducible NO-synthase (iNOS). In the present study we analysed whether the destruction of primarily nonvascularised parathyroid allografts is also mediated by iNOS-positive macrophages. Methods Hypocalcaemic Lewis rats received parathyroid isografts (from Lewis donors) and allografts (from Wistar Furth donors), respectively, under the kidney capsule. Levels of serum calcium above…

40(th) EASD Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes : Munich, Germany, 5-9 September 2004