Effects of genotype matching of feline major histocompatibility complex (FLA) class II DRB on skin-allograft transplantation in cats

In order to confirm the effects of matching of expressed feline major histocompatibility complex (FLA) class II DRB genotype on transplantation immunity in cats, skin-allogeneic transplantation was carried out between cats, in which DRB genes expressed were genotyped by the RT-PCR-RFLP method using group-specific primers. Duration until grafts were rejected was 14.63 +/- 1.69 days (mean standard deviation) in the pairs that had the same type of subgroups. 7.25 +/- 0.71 days in the pairs that had one different type of subgroup and 6.88 +/- 0.35 days in the pairs that had two different types of subgroups. The duration of graft survival in the pairs with the same type of subgroups was significantly longer (P < 0.01) than those in the pairs with different types. Although FLA components involved in transplantation immunity should not only be DRB genes, it was suggested that the expressed FLA-DRB genotype might associate with feline transplantation immunity, and that typing and matching of expressed FLA-DRB genes might be one of the important factors in the control of feline transplantation immunity.