Canine Limb Allotransplantation the First Veterinary Clinical Attempt
Resource
TAIWAN VET J v.29 n.2 pp.76-84
Journal
TAIWAN
Journal Volume
VET
Journal Issue
n.2
Pages
76-84
Date Issued
2003
Date
2003
Author(s)
HOU, SHENG-MOU
Abstract
To study the feasibility of canine limb allotransplantation under novel combination of immunosuppressive agent, the right forelimb of a 2-year-old male Shiba dog was transplanted to a 7-year-old female terrier recipient suffered from an amputation 3 year earlier. The animals were compatible in body size and blood type. Rejection was controlled by administering a combination of prednisolone, tacrolimus and leflunomid. The limb allograft survived the early postoperative phase with good perfusion and hair re- growth. Very early signs of rejection were noted on day 40, which progressed despite increasing the dose of the immunosuppressive agents. The graft was totally rejected and amputated on day 60. Histologically, vascular rejection was indentified as the prime reason leading to graft failure. No microchimerism of of Y-chromosome-positive cells were detected by PCR at any time during the period. In conclusion , canine limb allotransplantation is technically feasible yet rejection control is challenging. Further investigation into an effective and nontoxic immunosuppressive protocol is warranted.
Subjects
dog
limb transplantation
microchimerism
rejection