Results:

The presence of donor Y-Sry fragment was documented in all investigated allogeneic and syngeneic recipient tissues after each type of transplantation. The mean numbers of donor DNA copies (expressed in optical density units, OD) were estimated in all tissues. The mean values were always higher early after syngeneic transplantation, reaching on day 7 in lymph nodes mean OD values of 7. The presence of Sry-fragment was hardly detectable as long as the heart allograft rejection was controlled by cyclosporin A administration (day 30). Cessation of immunosuppressive therapy resulted in appearance of donor Y-Sry fragment in all recipient tissues. The OD values of donor Sry-fragment were inversely correlated with the percentages of donor-phenotype (OX27+) cells in recipient tissues.

Conclusions:

The initial high wash-out of donor DNA from the graft was caused by ischemia damage, whereas that after cessation of CsA by rejection. Detection of Sry-DNA fragment in male-to-female tx or microsatelite fragment analysis method in female-to-female is simple and reliable.