Immunomorphology of graft-versus-host disease after small bowel transplantation in the rat

The process of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) elicited by small bowel semi-syngeneic grafts in Lewis rats was studied by an immunohistochemical staining technique for analysis of MHC (major histocompatibility complex) class II antigen expression and of T-cell subpopulations in different organs. Specimens from the graft, native bowel, brain, testis, liver, kidney, and skin were taken on days 5, 10, and 15. All the investigated organs displayed strong class II antigen induction during the course of GVHD. In the native bowel of semi-syngeneically transplanted animals, only discrete morphological changes were noted, whereas the graft displayed a generalized serosal reaction with large infiltrates of rounded and polygonal cells expressing class II antigens. This was not observed in the graft of syngeneically transplanted animals. In the lamina propria of the semisyngeneic graft, 'free' lymphocyte-like cells were depleted and, at the same time, localized aggregates of these cells were observed. Crypt cell class II expression in the native bowel, and to some extent in the graft, was increased during GVHD. However, pronounced intraindividual variations in MHC class II antigen expression were noted, and class II expression was therefore not considered to be a good marker for GVHD.