Transplantation of skin from human immunodeficiency virus type 1-transgenic mice to normal congenic mice results in graft rejection.

Skin from mice transgenic (Tg) for part of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genome was transplanted onto normal mice of the same strain. All Tg grafts were rejected within 29 days. In contrast, skin from normal mice that was transplanted to HIV-1-Tg recipients remained viable for > 67 days. Histologic examination of Tg grafts on normal mice showed evidence of monocytic infiltrates. Monocytic infiltrates were not observed, however, when either normal or Tg skin was transplanted onto Tg mice. Immunohistologic staining verified the presence of gp120 protein expression in the Tg-transplanted skin but not in adjacent normal skin. It is concluded that the Tg mice are immunologically tolerant to the HIV-1 gene products they express.