Interferon-gamma deficiency prevents coronary arteriosclerosis but not myocardial rejection in transplanted mouse hearts

• Published in: The Journal of clinical investigation Vol. 100; no. 3; pp. 550 - 557
• Main Authors: Nagano, H, Mitchell, R N, Taylor, M K, Hasegawa, S, Tilney, N L, Libby, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.08.1997
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal - administration & dosage; Coronary Artery Disease - prevention & control; Graft Rejection - prevention & control; Heart Transplantation; Interferon-gamma - deficiency; Interferon-gamma - immunology; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Mice, Knockout; Transplantation, Homologous
• ISSN: 0021-9738
• DOI: 10.1172/JCI119564

We have hypothesized that T cell cytokines participate in the pathogenesis of graft arterial disease (GAD). This study tested the consequences of IFN-gamma deficiency on arterial and parenchymal pathology in murine cardiac allografts. Hearts from C-H-2(bm12)KhEg (bm12, H-2(bm12)) were transplanted into C57/B6 (B6, H-2(b)), wild-type, or B6 IFN-gamma-deficient (GKO) recipients after immunosuppression by treatment with anti-CD4 and anti-CD8 mAbs. In wild-type recipients, myocardial rejection peaked at 4 wk, (grade 2. 1+/-0.3 out of 4, mean+/-SEM, n = 9), and by 8-12 wk evolved coronary arteriopathy. At 12 wk, the GAD score was 1.4+/-0.3, and the parenchymal rejection grade was 1.2+/-0.3 (n = 8). In GKO recipients of bm12 allografts, myocardial rejection persisted at 12 wk (grade 2.5+/-0.3, n = 6), but no GAD developed (score: 0.0+/-0.0, n = 6, P < 0.01 vs. wild-type). Mice treated with anti-IFN-gamma mAbs showed similar results. Isografts generally showed no arterial changes. In wild-type recipients, arterial and parenchymal cells showed increased MHC class II molecules, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 compared to normal or isografted hearts. The allografts in GKO recipients showed attenuated expression of these molecules (n = 6). Thus, development of GAD, but not parenchymal rejection, requires IFN-gamma. Reduced expression of MHC antigens and leukocyte adhesion molecules may contribute to the lack of coronary arteriopathy in hearts allografted into GKO mice.