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Immunogenicity of glycerol-preserved human cadaver skin in vitro
C D Richters1, M J Hoekstra, J van Baare
1Department of Cell Biology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
Glycerol-preserved donor skin (alloskin) for burn wounds shows reduced T-cell response. Infiltrating monocytes, not T-cells, likely mediate the delayed inflammatory destruction of this preserved skin.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Wound Healing
- Tissue Preservation
Background:
- Donor allograft skin in 85% glycerol serves as temporary coverage for extensive burn wounds.
- Glycerol preservation maintains skin structural integrity and cell structure, though cells are non-viable.
- Major histocompatibility class II (MHC II) expressing cells remain detectable post-glycerol treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the immunogenicity mechanism of glycerol-treated alloskin.
- To understand the delayed destruction of glycerol-preserved skin after transplantation.
- To compare the in vitro immune response to untreated versus glycerol-treated human skin cells.
Main Methods:
- In vitro immunogenicity assays comparing untreated and 85% glycerol-treated human skin cells.
- Co-culture of human purified blood T cells with allogeneic treated and untreated skin cells.
- Assessment of T cell proliferation in response to skin cells, with and without the addition of monocytes.
Main Results:
- T cells did not proliferate when cultured with glycerol-treated allogeneic skin cells.
- Untreated allogeneic skin cells induced a significant T cell response.
- A moderate immune response was observed with treated skin cells when monocytes were added, but it was substantially lower than with untreated cells.
Conclusions:
- Glycerol preservation significantly reduces the T cell-mediated rejection of alloskin.
- The delayed inflammatory destruction of glycerol-treated alloskin is likely mediated by infiltrating host monocytes.
- This suggests an inflammatory process rather than a direct T cell-mediated rejection.
Abstract:
Donor allograft skin preserved in 85% glycerol is used as a temporary coverage for large burn wounds. Glycerol treatment does not affect the structural integrity of the skin; cells are well preserved but dead. However, cells expressing major histocompatibility class II molecules can still be observed. In this study we investigated the mechanism underlying the clinical observation that glycerol-treated alloskin will be destroyed but after a prolonged period. We compared the in vitro immunogenicity of untreated and 85% glycerol-treated human skin cells. Human purified blood T cells did not proliferate when cultured with allogeneic treated skin cells, whereas untreated cells induced a distinct response. A moderate response was measured after adding T cells and viable antigen presenting cells, such as monocytes, to the allogeneic treated skin cells. However, the response on untreated skin cells was much higher. These results favor the suggestion that after transplantation of glycerol preserved skin is performed, an inflammatory process mediated by infiltrating host monocytes occurs rather than a rejection process mediated by T cells.
