Changes in serum histone levels in baboons following pig (A) non-life-supporting heterotopic abdominal heart, (B) life-supporting kidney, (C) orthotopic liver, or (D) artery patch xenotransplantation.
(A) Following a pig heart transplant, in baboons that experienced no complications (eg, no infection or CC), serum histone levels remained approximately <1. Histone levels increased to >3 when CC (B19010) or infection (B19510) developed.
(B) Following a pig kidney transplant, serum histone levels increased when CC (B17415 and B17515) or infection (B9313, B17315, B17615) developed.
(C) Following a pig liver transplant, serum histone levels increased to >2 in all cases within 24h when CC developed (thrombocytopenia <50,000μl). This was followed by temporary recovery in 3 cases.
(D) Following a pig artery patch transplant, there was some fluctuation in serum histone levels during the first month (which is difficult to explain), but thereafter the levels stabilized at <1.