Alloreactive lymphoid infiltrates in human heart transplants. Loss of class II-directed cytotoxicity more than 3 months after transplantation.
From 535 endomyocardial biopsies (87 heart transplant recipients) 283 cell cultures could be generated. All cultures tested contained T lymphocytes and in most cases CD4 was the predominant phenotype at any time posttransplant. A significantly higher proportion of CD8-dominated cultures was found among cultures from biopsies without myocytolysis. In the first 3 months post transplant 57% of cultures showed cytotoxicity against both class I and class II mismatched donor major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens, changing to an incidence of 33% at greater than 90 days. This proved to be due to a significant decrease in the number of cultures with human leukocyte antigen class II-directed cytotoxicity. This study shows that early after transplantation a heart transplant is infiltrated with activated donor-specific cytotoxic T cells which recognize a broad spectrum of mismatched donor MHC antigens, and that in time this spectrum becomes more restricted.
Ouwehand
A J
AJ
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Vaessen
L M
LM
Baan
C C
CC
Jutte
N H
NH
Balk
A H
AH
Essed
C E
CE
Bos
E
E
Claas
F H
FH
Weimar
W
W
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006681:HLA-D Antigens; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D006681:HLA-D Antigens