Effect of toleration on histologic evaluation of small bowel in transplant recipients.

Small bowel biopsies were performed in all groups 52 days after transplantation. Alleviation of all histologic parameters of cGVHD was observed in mice from experimental group A fed with homogenates of splenocytes derived from recipient strain BALB/c mice (panel A). In contrast, biopsy specimens from control nontolerant recipients in group B and C, which were fed with homogenates prepared from syngeneic B10.D2 mouse splenocytes or BSA, respectively, manifested mucosal damage, distortion of villous architecture, reduction in the number of mucosal cells and crypt hyperplasia, mononuclear cell infiltration within the lamina propria, and cryptitis (Panels B and C). (HαE, original magnification ×10.)