Rejection of grafts without histocompatibility antigen disparity by TAP1-/- mice: a role for CD4+ T cells

We have previously shown that TAP1-/- mice reject heart and skin grafts lacking an H-2 disparity. TAP1-/- mice, which are deficient for MHC-I molecules, probably have a T-cell repertoire with distinct reactivity to these molecules. We speculated that this rejection could be mediated by CD4+ T cells reactive to H-2(b) class I molecules, or to class I-derived peptides presented by self-APC. This hypothesis was tested in the present work. Presensitization of TAP1-/- mice with H-2K(b) peptides accelerated the rejection of C57BL/6 (H-2(b)) skin grafts (MST 13 days, P <.0057), indicating that these peptides were able to mobilize effector T cells that participate in rejection. In addition, CD4 T-cell depletion before transplantation induced a significant delay in rejection (P <.0011), showing that CD4 T cells have a major role in the rejection process, though other cells may also contribute. In conclusion, these results support our hypothesis that H-2(b) molecules may be targeted in graft rejection without an H-2 disparity. The low expression of MHC-I molecules on TAP1-/- mice may determine the selection of a T-cell repertoire that is reactive to self-MHC-I molecules, a phenomenon that is probably beyond the control of peripheral regulatory mechanisms.