The antigenicity of Kiel bone in the human host.

The immunological response of the human host to xenograft bone after combined xenografts of Kiel bone and autologous marrow has been studied by serological methods in twenty-eight patients and by the leucocytic reaction in the peripheral blood in fifteen. The clinical findings in these patients have already been reported. The results suggest that Kiel bone is very weakly antigenic in the human host. These results are discussed in the light of previous experimental findings and a possible explanation put forward. The advantages of osteogenesis by autologous marrow cells are also discussed.