The influence of DL-A compatibility on the survival of hepatic allografts in unmodified mongrel dogs.

Heterotopic hepatic transplantation was performed in 26 pairs of littermate and non-littermate mongrel dogs selected by serological criteria of DL-A compatibility. No immunosuppression was given. In non-littermates, 11 recipients of DL-A incompatible allografts survived 10-22 days (mean 13.4 days). Mean serum bilirubin rose by the 6th day. Three recipients of DL-A compatible allografts survived 13, 41, and 60 days, (mean 38 days). Mean serum bilirubin rose by the 8th day. In littermates, 5 recipients of DL-A incompatible allografts survived 7-12 days (mean 10.2 days) and mean serum bilirubin rose by the 6th day. Four recipients of DL-A compatible allografts from phenotypically DL-A non-identical donors survived 58, 82, 90 and 128 days (mean 89.5 days). Mean serum bilirubin rose by the 29th day. In contrast, 3 recipients of DL-A phenotypically identical allografts survived 171, 536 and over 636 days respectively, with normal mean serum bilirubin levels. The results confirm the role of the DL-A system in hepatic transplantation in mongrel dogs, and suggest that this dog population may constitute a suitable experimental model parallelling the current situation with regard to HL-A compatibility testing in outbred human subjects. The relatively long survival of DL-A compatible heterotopic hepatic allografts, compared with similar transplants of skin, kidney and heart, also suggests a need for studies of possible alteration in parameters of humoral and cellular reactivity in these recipients.