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Microbiological characterization of porcine fetal islet‐like cell clusters for intended clinical xenografting
Author(s) -
Bjöersdorff A.,
Korsgren O.,
Feinstein R.,
Andersson A.,
Tollemar J.,
Malmborg A.S.,
Ehrnst A.,
Groth C.G.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
xenotransplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.052
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1399-3089
pISSN - 0908-665X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3089.1995.tb00062.x
Subject(s) - biology , transplantation , serology , fetus , aborted fetus , pancreas , andrology , xenotransplantation , microbiology and biotechnology , islet , microbiological culture , antibody , bacteria , pathology , immunology , pregnancy , medicine , diabetes mellitus , endocrinology , genetics
A major concern in animal‐to‐man transplantation is the risk of transferring microorganisms from an animal to a patient. For this reason, before transplanting the porcine fetal pancreas to diabetic patients, the pregnant sows and the tissue to be transplanted—i.e., fetal islet‐like cell clusters (ICC) prepared by collagenase digestion and cell culture—were subjected to a comprehensive microbiological screening program. Serological testing of the pregnant sows revealed antibodies to Leptospira interrogans (2/59 sows, 3%) and Aspergillus fumigatus (23/41, 56%). However, there was no evidence of colonization of the animals with these organisms. Serological testing for a multitude of other microorganisms was negative. Growth of bacteria was found in 4% of the specimens recovered from the endometrium and in 31% of those from the amniotic fluid. However, none of these bacterial species was recovered in the culture dishes containing ICC. A few samples taken from the culture dishes (2/53, 4%) revealed growth of bacteria, but no viruses, fungi, or mycoplasmas were detected. In nude mice that had carried ICC under the kidney capsule for 9 to 23 months, various lesions were observed, but none of them was due to the implanted porcine tissue. Microscopic examination of the mouse brains revealed no prion‐related alterations. If porcine tissue is to be transplanted into humans, a stringent microbiological screening program must be followed. The program used by us makes possible the weeding out of seropositive animals, as required, and the exclusion of contaminated tissue.