Production of de novo DSA (dnDSA) is associated with an increased risk of antibody mediated rejection after liver transplantation. Antibodies not only recognize the entire antigen but are able to bind specific functional epitopes present on the HLA molecule surface. The HLAMatchmaker and the PIRCHE-II (predicted indirectly recognizable HLA epitopes) algorithms are able to determine predictive epitope

Achievement of complete donor chimerism after an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant is necessary for elimination of underlying malignant disease. A decline in donor chimerism may herald an impending relapse and therefore, early recognition and intervention plays an important role in such cases. A 32 year old male patient diagnosed as a case of Philadelphia positive mixed phenotypic acute

INTRODUCTION The appearance of de novo donor-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies (dnDSAs) after kidney transplantation is independently associated with poor long-term allograft outcomes. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the predictive value of a flow cytometry crossmatching (FC-XM) assay after the appearance of dnDSAs related to antibody-mediated allograft rejection (ABMR)

The rapid emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented and poses an unparalleled obstacle in the sixty-five year history of organ transplantation. Worldwide, the delivery of transplant care is severely challenged by matters concerning - but not limited to - organ procurement, risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, screening strategies of donors and recipients, decisions to postpone or proceed with

Belatacept, Nulojix®, inhibits the interaction of CD28 on naïve T cells with B7.1/B7.2 (CD80/86) on antigen presenting cells, leading to T cell hyporesponsiveness and anergy and is approved as immunosuppressive drug in kidney transplantation. Due to its specificity for B7.1/2 molecules, side effects are reduced compared to other immunosuppressive drugs like calcineurin- and mTOR-inhibitors. Kidney

BACKGROUND The component (C3) of the complement system constitutes a central element in liver transplantation. C3 is produced mainly by the liver and comprises both slow (C3-S), and fast (C3-F) components. METHODS The effect of a single nucleotide variation in the C3 gene on the first-year outcome examined by ARMS PCR in 30 recipients of living donor allograft. RESULTS Frequencies of C3-S and C3-F

BACKGROUND The liver and renal capsule are the most common site for experimental pancreatic islet transplantation, but it is not optimal. Gastric submucosa space may be an ideal site for islet transplantation; however, whether pro-inflammation factors mediated islet dysfunction could be avoided or alleviated is still unclear. METHODS Islets of Sprague Dawley (SD) rat were transplanted into the streptozotocin-induced

Granzyme B is known to be a serine protease contained in granules of cytotoxic T cells. We have previously reported an influence of granzyme B expression in T regulatory cells (Tregs) on the risk of acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) onset. However, it is still unknown if conventional T cells (Tcon) use the granzyme B pathway as a mechanism of alloimmunity. We hypothesized that granzyme B in Tcon

BACKGROUND It was found that regulatory T cells (Tregs) importantly affect the maintenance of the kidney graft. However, Tregs are a heterogeneous population with less to more suppressive activity. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different subsets of Tregs, as well as their ratio to effector T cells (Teff), on kidney transplantation outcomes. METHODS A total of 58 participants

Chronic kidney disease stage 5 (CKD5) dialysis patients who stay long term in uremic environment often exhibit several, poorly defined, immune impairments. In this study, we assessed peripheral virus-specific effector/memory cells and subpopulations of T, B and DC cells using ELISPOT and FACS methods in 74 low-risk kidney transplant candidates without anti-HLA antibodies, prior to transplantation in

Acute cellular rejection (ACR) remains as one of the main causes of graft loss and death in intestinal transplant (ITx) patients. ACR promotes intestinal injury, disruption of the mucosal barrier, bacterial translocation, and organ dysfunction. As epithelial regeneration is critical in reversing these consequences, the functional axis between the innate lymphoid cell subpopulation 3 (ILC3) and interleukin

BACKGROUND The impact of HLA-DP mismatches on renal allograft outcome is still poorly understood and is suggested to be less than that of the other HLA loci. The common association of HLA-DP donor-specific antibodies (DSA) with other DSA obviates the evaluation of the actual effect of HLA-DP DSA. METHODS From a large multicenter data collection, we retrospectively evaluated the significance of HLA-DP

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) and their potential involvement in acute antibody-mediated rejection (AAMR). METHODS We studied 3 groups: KTR with AAMR (KTR-Cases, n = 14); KTR without any immunologic event (KTR-Controls, n = 14) and donors (n = 12). Spontaneous and lipopolysaccharide-induced NETosis were evaluated

Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) of cardiac allografts mediated by anti-HLA Donor Specific Antibodies (DSA) is one of the major barriers to successful transplantation for the treatment of end-stage heart failure. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is a first-line treatment for pre-transplant desensitization. However, indications for treatment regimens and treatment end-points have not been well established

Long term survival post lung transplantation (LTx) is limited by the occurrence of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). One mechanism involved is the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Membrane microparticles (MPs) are known to be involved in some respiratory diseases and in other organs allograft rejection episodes. We hypothesized that leukocyte-derived MPs likely contribute to EMT. To

The PIRCHE (Predicted Indirectly ReCognizable HLA Epitopes) score is an HLA epitope matching algorithm. PIRCHE algorithm estimates the level of presence of T-cell epitopes in mismatched HLA. The PIRCHE-II numbers associate with de novo donor-specific antibody (dnDSA) formation following liver transplantation and kidney allograft survival following renal transplantation. The aim of our study was to

BACKGROUND Primary graft Dysfunction (PGD) results in significant mortality and morbidity after lung transplantation (LT). The objective of this study was to evaluate if pre-existing antibodies to self-antigens in sera of LT recipients are associated with PGD. METHODS The serum profiles of IgG and IgA autoantibodies were analyzed using a customized proteomic microarray bearing 124 autoantigens. Autoantibodies

BACKGROUND Accelerated transplant rejection mediated by donor reactive memory T cells is another barrier to the induction of graft tolerance. The aim of this study was to investigate the immunosuppressing effects of vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D3), administered alone or in combination with a costimulatory blockade treatment, on rejection of secondary heart allografts in a mouse model. METHODS Circular full-thickness

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are potent triggers of tissue injury following renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). Specific PRRs, such as the toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs) NOD1 and NOD2 are promising targets to abrogate inflammatory injury associated with renal IRI. Several recent reports have shown there is crosstalk between

BACKGROUND Tolerance induction following organ transplantation can be achieved by adoptive cell transfer of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) or dendritic cells (DCs). However, the target immunological profile is unknown. The present study aimed to identify an immunological profile connected to tolerance induction following heart transplantation (HTx). METHODS Blood samples of long-term rejection-free HTx

We investigated the effects of early recombinant thrombomodulin (rTM) treatment on long-term prognosis after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Subjects included 300 patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT (131 in the rTM(+) group and 169 in the rTM(-) group). The control group received heparin or no anti-coagulation therapy. When we examined patients with confirmed complications (day 1-100)

BACKGROUND While acute neurotoxic side effects of calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) are well-known, data upon long-term effects on brain structure and function are sparse. We hypothesize that long-term CNI therapy affects the neuroimmune system, thereby, increasing the risk of neurodegeneration. Here, we measured the impact of CNI therapy on plasma levels of brain- and T cell-derived cytokines in a cohort

Organ transplantation is an effective way to treat many end-stage diseases. In order to overcome post-transplant rejection, immunosuppressive agents have been widely used, but the long-term survival of transplanted organs still has not been achieved in the clinic. For decades, tolerance is the "holy grail" that transplant immunologists have longed for. The well-known approaches to induce immune tolerance

BACKGROUND Post-transplantation pharmacotherapies typically employ combinations of immunosuppressive agents that have been designed for targeted inhibition of T-cells and T-cell subsets. Studies of acute and chronic effects of clinically employed immunosuppressive agents on B-cells and B-cell subsets are significantly fewer in number and warrant further investigation. Accordingly, the goal of the present

OBJECTIVE PQA-18 (Prenylated quinolinecarboxylic acid-18) has been reported to be a novel immunosuppressant that attenuates the production of various cytokines, and the differentiation of macrophages by inhibiting PAK2. In this study, we investigated the function of this drug mainly on macrophages using a rat small intestinal transplant model. METHODS Male Dark Agouti (DA) and Lewis rats (LEW), 7-9 weeks

BACKGROUND Obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) is the major complication limiting the long-term survival of allografts after lung transplantation. In this study, we investigated the effect of tacrolimus (FK506) combined with GM6001，a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitor， on the formation of OB using a mouse heterotopic tracheal transplantation model. METHODS Syngeneic tracheal grafts were transplanted

BACKGROUND The role of CD19+CD24highCD38high B-regulatory cells in solid-organ Transplant (Tx) in acceptance are still scarce. In previous studies on kidney transplant recipients may suggest a protective role of this cell subtype in graft tolerance and the existence of a cross talk between B-and T-regulatory clones. In lung transplantation, the role of B-regulatory cells has never been investigated

BACKGROUND Measurement of serum anti-pig antibodies is an important parameter in immune monitoring after pig-to-nonhuman primate xenotransplantation. Pig aortic endothelial cells (pAECs) are commonly used for this purpose. However, human (h) CTLA4-Ig (abatacept/belatacept) could bind to pCD80/86 on the cells, and a secondary antibody (i.e., anti-human IgG) may recognize hCTLA4-Ig (in the absence of

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) after lung transplantation mainly contributes to the development of primary graft dysfunction. The Sprouty-related EVH1-domain-containing (SPRED) protein family inhibits the mitogen activated protein kinase/extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway. Our study was aimed at examining the role of SPRED2 in IRI in mice that received orthotopic lung transplantation

BACKGROUND One of the important factors in the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) among renal transplant patients (RTPs) is ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). The current study aimed at determining the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of melatonin on the complications of IRI and the level of Klotho expression in these patients. METHODS A total of 40 renal transplant candidates were

Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins have acknowledged roles in regulation of immune responses. Moreover, their role in the evolution of allograft rejection is being elucidated. In the current investigation, we measured transcript levels of SOCS1-4 in the peripheral blood of a group of renal transplant recipients including both rejected and non-rejected allografts. Expression analyses showed

BACKGROUND Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a severe complication of solid organ transplantation (SOT). However, there is no consensus on PTLD screening methods. Gammopathies (GP), which occur in 10-25% of SOT recipients, have been linked to subsequent development of PTLD. Therefore, GP detection methods, such as serum protein electrophoresis (SPE), serum protein immunofixation

The occurrence of acute antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) is higher in flow cytometric crossmatch (FCXM)-positive patients despite desensitization. Accumulating evidence suggests a correlation between the complement-binding ability of donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) and the risk of ABMR. Here, we investigated the correlation between complement C3d-fixing ability of preformed DSA and ABMR risk, the

BACKGROUND Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is one of the main indications for liver transplantation (LT). For 20 years, tacrolimus (Tac) is the cornerstone immunosuppressive drug used after LT and is very efficient for the prevention of rejection. Nevertheless, the major drawback of long-term use of Tac is the risk for developing dose-dependent adverse effects. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present

OBJECTIVES Alemtuzumab (Ale) is a recombinant monoclonal antibody which binds to CD52 causing profound lymphodepletion, thus allowing its use in renal transplantation induction therapy. However, patients may be at increased risk for opportunistic infections, such as Cytomegalovirus (CMV). We analyzed CMV infection in renal allograft recipients administered low-dose valganciclovir (VGCV) prophylaxis

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are a heterogenous population of immunosuppressive myeloid cells now considered important immune regulatory cells in diverse clinical conditions, including cancer, chronic inflammatory disorders and transplantation. In rodents, MDSC administration can inhibit graft-versus-host disease lethality and enhance organ or pancreatic islet allograft survival. There is

BACKGROUND Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is the leading cause of early mortality after lung transplantation. Anti-collagen type-V (col(V)) immunity has been observed in animal models of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and in PGD. We hypothesized that collagen type-V is an innate danger signal contributing to PGD pathogenesis. METHODS Anti-col(V) antibody production was detected by flow cytometric

AIMS Chronic-active antibody mediated rejection (c-aABMR) is a major cause of kidney graft loss. Currently, little is known about the relation between histopathologic parameters and renal allograft survival. METHODS AND RESULTS Between 2008 and 2014, 41 patients with a progressive decrease in renal function were diagnosed with c-aABMR according to Banff 2015 and followed up for at least 3 years. Clinical

OBJECTIVES The various forms of chronic rejection share a common histological appearance termed allograft arteriosclerosis. In the early stages thereof, apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) is obviously reduced, associated with vascular intimal thickening. High-level expression of the HSG/Mfn2 gene promotes apoptosis of rat VSMC. However, the role and mechanism of Mfn2 in inhibition of

Renal transplantation is an effective therapy with improved long-term outcomes compared with other therapies for end stage renal disease. Present methods for evaluating kidney allograft function, such as serum creatinine or allograft biopsy, are not sensitive and identify pathological changes only after any potential intervention would be effective. Thus, there is a necessity for biomarkers that would

Administration of alemtuzumab (targeting the CD52 antigen) to the patient (in-vivo) or to the graft (in-vitro) before allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) decreases the incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). Effectiveness of this treatment relies on depletion of donor T cells. Currently, no data are available on alemtuzumab pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in patients who received

BACKGROUND Scarce data are available about immune cell frequencies in HIV-positive recipients of liver transplant. Alterations in immune subsets can lead to persistent immune activation and disease progression or reduced HIV-specific responses. In liver transplantation, impaired immune tolerance can lead to organ rejection. METHODS HIV-positive subjects with undetectable HIVRNA and CD4 > 100/mm3 were

Conversion to belatacept immunosuppression is a therapeutic option for renal-transplant recipients with calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) toxicity, but it associates with high risk of acute rejection. Gradual conversion and serial immune monitoring with urinary chemokine CXCL9 may allow increasing safety of this maneuver. We converted kidney transplant recipients with signs of toxicity to CNI or other immunosuppressive

BACKGROUND Hematological abnormalities after transplantation are complications that may arise after renal transplantation, of which thrombocytopenia is associated with increased risk of bleeding and other complications. The development of thrombocytopenia is affected by various clinical conditions, and the stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF1) and platelet factor 4 (PF4) genes are known to be involved in

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) constitutes the most frequent complications after the allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for a variety of hematological malignancies. In the present study, we explored the prophylactic potential of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) in controlling GVHD in murine models with a special focus on bone marrow aplasia related with acute

PURPOSE We investigated the implications of early recurrent 1R rejections for long-term outcomes after heart transplantation (HT) and evaluated the prognostic significance of 1990 ISHLT grading 1B/2 versus 1A. METHODS Data on all patients who underwent HT between 1992 and 2017 were reviewed. Patients with ≥2 endomyocardial biopsies graded 1R in the first 3 months were classified as "recurrent 1R."

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and transplant rejection as a result of host-versus-graft (HVG) response have remained two major complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). When donors are partially HLA-mismatched unrelated or haploidentical related, their severity correlates with the degree of HLA disparity. Specific elimination of alloreactive donor or recipient

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) remains lethal, even after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Inflammatory responses play an important role in aGvHD. Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) has been widely reported to have a major effect on the anti-inflammatory response, but these effects in an aGvHD model have never been reported. B6 donor splenocytes were transplanted into unirradiated

PURPOSE For patients with end stage lung disease, lung transplantation (LT) remains the only definitive treatment option. Long term survival post LT is limited by acute and chronic allograft dysfunction. Antibodies to lung self-antigens Kα1Tubulin and collagen V (autoantibodies) have been implicated in adverse outcomes post LT. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of autoantibodies

Chronic-active antibody mediated rejection (c-aABMR) contributes significantly to late renal allograft failure. The antibodies directed against donor-derived antigens, e.g. anti-HLA antibodies, cause inflammation at the level of the microvascular endothelium. This is characterized by signs of local activation of the complement system and accumulation of immune cells within the capillaries. Non-invasive

BACKGROUND Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3) / vascular endothelial growth factor -c (VEGF-C) signaling is reported to negatively regulate TLR4-triggered inflammation of macrophages. This study aims to clarify whether the VEGFR-3/VEGF-C signaling can suppress Kupffer cells (KCs) activation and attenuate hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) after liver transplantation. METHODS

Infusion of ethylene carbodiimide-fixed donor splenocytes (ECDI-SPs) is an effective method to induce donor-specific protection to allografts. However, the ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury during transplant leads to abundant of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which negates the effect of ECDI-SPs. Therefore, suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion while promoting anti-inflammatory cytokine release

Allogeneic peripheral nerve (PN) transplants are an effective bridge for stimulating regeneration of segmental PN defects, but there are currently no detailed studies about the timeline and scope of the immunological response for PN allografting. In this study, the cellular immune response in PN allografts and autograft was studied during the acute and chronic phases of a 1.0 cm critical size defect

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a frequent complication following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with current therapies limited to general immunosuppression. Humanized mouse models of GVHD are emerging as valuable intermediaries to allow translation of findings from allogeneic mouse models to humans to prevent and treat this disease, but such models require further characterization

BACKGROUND Risk factors for the development of anti-HLA antibodies include blood transfusion, organ transplantation, and pregnancy. Humoral rejection, mediated by donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSA), has been studied in all kind of solid organ transplantations, and several studies have suggested that post-liver transplantation (LT) DSA may play a role in acute and chronic rejection. OBJECTIVE

Mannose binding lectin 2 (MBL2) is one of the pattern-recognition soluble receptors and is responsible for complement activation via the lectin pathway, so it plays an important role in kidney transplantation. The aim of the study was to examine the association between MBL2 gene polymorphisms and acute rejection of the kidney allograft. This study enrolled 266 Caucasian deceased-donor renal transplant

Annual vaccination is routinely used in organ transplant recipients for immunization against seasonal influenza. However, detailed analysis of the kinetics of vaccine-induced immune responses in this population is lacking. In this study, we investigated the kinetics of vaccine strains-specific antibody responses to trivalent influenza vaccine in a group of renal transplant recipients and a control

BACKGROUND Chronic renal allograft dysfunction (CRAD) is the main condition affecting the long-term survival of renal allografts. Rosiglitazone, which is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) agonist, has been shown to exert antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects on some renal diseases. The present paper investigates the effect of rosiglitazone on CRAD using a murine model. METHODS