The Antigenic Structure of Blood Platelets. I. Demonstration in the Rabbit of Antigens in Common Between Skin and Blood Platelets

Viability of infused homologous blood platelets was measured in the circulation of rabbits previously sensitized by one to three skin homografts. After three skin grafts, viability of homologous platelets collected from the skin donor ("specific" platelets) was found to be consistently reduced, while after one or two skin grafts it was reduced in 40 per cent of the experiments. When the platelets infused in the skin-sensitized animals were from "nonspecific" donors, viability was reduced in fewer experiments and to a lesser degree. Demonstration was also made that the skin tissue itself and not the amount of blood contained in the grafts was responsible for the state of immunity leading to increased destruction of the subsequently infused homologous platelets.

The results obtained in these experiments were interpreted as demonstration that skin tissue and blood platelets share antigens in common, so that after transplantation of skin, an antiplatelet factor with a good degree of individual specificity appears in the circulation, resulting in increased destruction of subsequently infused homologous platelets. The possibility that this antiplatelet factor may represent a homotransplantation antibody was entertained.