Home About us Contact | |||
Organ Allografts (organ + allograft)
Selected AbstractsChemokine receptor-dependent alloresponsesIMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2003Wayne W. Hancock Summary:, Immunologists have typically viewed alloreactivity schematically as a function of antigen presentation, expansion of alloreactive T and B cells within regional lymphoid tissues, and cellular infiltration and destruction of an allograft. Actual details of the steps between immune activation and accumulation of effector cells within a graft typically have not received much attention. However, just how cells ,know' to move to and migrate within a graft or not is proving to be of increasing interest, as the chemokine-dependent mechanisms underlying leukocyte recruitment to a transplant are dissected. Experimentally, chemokine receptor targeting can prolong or induce permanent allograft survival, despite preservation of alloresponses within secondary lymphoid tissues, whereas current immunosuppressive protocols have only modest effects on chemokine production and leukocyte homing. Recent knowledge of the chemokine-dependent nature of allograft rejection, acceptance, and tolerance induction are presented as a basis for understanding the rationale for preclinical trials of chemokine receptor-targeted therapies currently underway in primate recipients of solid organ allografts. [source] The role of B cells and alloantibody in the host response to human organ allograftsIMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2003Attapong Vongwiwatana Summary:, Some human organ transplants deteriorate slowly over a period of years, often developing characteristic syndromes: transplant glomerulopathy (TG) in kidneys, bronchiolitis obliterans in lungs, and coronary artery disease in hearts. In the past, we attributed late graft deterioration to ,chronic rejection', a distinct but mysterious immunologic process different from conventional rejection. However, it is likely that much of chronic rejection is explained by conventional T-cell-mediated rejection (TMR), antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), and other insults. Recently, criteria have emerged to now permit us to diagnose AMR in kidney transplants, particularly C4d deposition in peritubular capillaries and circulating antibody against donor human leukocyte antigens (HLA). Some cases with AMR develop TG, although the relationship of TG to AMR is complex. Thus, a specific diagnosis of AMR in kidney can now be made, based on graft damage, C4d deposition, and donor-specific alloantibodies. Criteria for AMR in other organs must be defined. Not all late rejections are AMR; some deteriorating organs probably have smoldering TMR. The diagnosis of late ongoing AMR raises the possibility of treatment to suppress the alloantibody, but efficacy of the available treatments requires further study. [source] Immunomodulation by mesenchymal stem cells and clinical experienceJOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2007K. Le Blanc Abstract Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from adult marrow can differentiate in vitro and in vivo into various cell types, such as bone, fat and cartilage. MSCs preferentially home to damaged tissue and may have therapeutic potential. In vitro data suggest that MSCs have low inherent immunogenicity as they induce little, if any, proliferation of allogeneic lymphocytes. Instead, MSCs appear to be immunosuppressive in vitro. They inhibit T-cell proliferation to alloantigens and mitogens and prevent the development of cytotoxic T-cells. In vivo, MSCs prolong skin allograft survival and have several immunomodulatory effects, which are presented and discussed in the present study. Possible clinical applications include therapy-resistant severe acute graft-versus-host disease, tissue repair, treatment of rejection of organ allografts and autoimmune disorders. [source] The Changed Balance of Regulatory and Naive T Cells Promotes Tolerance after TLI and Anti-T-Cell Antibody ConditioningAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 2 2010R. G. Nador The goal of the study was to determine how the changed balance of host naïve and regulatory T cells observed after conditioning with total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) and antithymocyte serum (ATS) promotes tolerance to combined organ and bone marrow transplants. Although previous studies showed that tolerance was dependent on host natural killer T (NKT) cells, this study shows that there is an additional dependence on host CD4+CD25+ Treg cells. Depletion of the latter cells before conditioning resulted in rapid rejection of bone marrow and organ allografts. The balance of T-cell subsets changed after TLI and ATS with TLI favoring mainly NKT cells and ATS favoring mainly Treg cells. Combined modalities reduced the conventional naïve CD4+ T cells 2800-fold. The host type Treg cells that persisted in the stable chimeras had the capacity to suppress alloreactivity to both donor and third party cells in the mixed leukocyte reaction. In conclusion, tolerance induction after conditioning in this model depends upon the ability of naturally occurring regulatory NKT and Treg cells to suppress the residual alloreactive T cells that are capable of rejecting grafts. [source] Susceptibility of Liver Allografts to High or Low Concentrations of Preformed Antibodies as Measured by Flow CytometryAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 2 2001Juan C. Scornik Liver grafts are more resistant to damage by HLA antibodies than other organ allografts, but it is not clear if the antibodies are associated with graft rejection or graft loss, or if different antibody concentrations have different effects. To explore potential associations between antibody concentrations and outcome, preformed IgG antibodies against donor cells were quantified by flow cytometry in 465 consecutive liver transplant recipients. Antibody-positive patients were classified according to whether they had high or low antibody concentrations and analyzed for possible correlation with graft rejection or graft loss. The results showed that the incidence of rejection was not significantly different between antibody-positive and -negative patients. However, patients with high antibody concentrations had a higher incidence of steroid-resistant rejections (31% at 1 year) than patients with low antibody (4%) or no antibody (8%, p <,0.0004). These effects were mainly due to T-cell (HLA class I) antibodies. The overall incidence of rejection at 1 year was 69% for high antibody patients, 51% for patients with low antibodies and 53% for patients with no antibodies (p not significant). In an apparent paradox, antibody-positive patients underwent fewer early graft losses. Thus, the associations of preformed antibodies and outcome depend, on the one hand, on antibody concentrations, and on the other hand on whether the outcome measured is steroid-sensitive rejection, steroid-resistant rejection or graft survival. These complex interactions may explain the controversial results observed in previous studies. [source] |