Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
When homotransplantation in man is carried out between siblings, or from parents to offspring, there is a great likelihood that the transplant will be successful utilizing the currently available modalities of immunosuppression (23). When cadaver donors are used, however, the results are far lees likely to be rewarding. In our own series of cases the disparity between the results of cadaver transplants and living related donor transplants has been less noticeable than in some other series (see Fig. 12). Whether graft irradiation has contributed to an improved survival of the patients with cadaver homografts can not be said with certainty. Since it has this effect in the experimental animal, however, and since its consistent sequential use in all cases remains one of the chief differences between our series and those of others it is possible that this may be one of the factors leading to an improved survival of cadaver homografts in man. No detrimental effect appears to have accrued from its use. Blood irradiation may be useful clinically, particularly if employed in less arduous applications than for attempted reversal of chronic and well established rejection. Apart from radiation of the transplant and the use of an extracorporeal blood irradiation device other forms of irradiation in man have either not met with success or remain yet to be tried. Radiation continues to be an excellent experimental tool to dissect out various facets of the rejection process.
Hume et al. (Sat,) studied this question.