title: Acute phase proteins and liver allograft rejection.
abstract: We studied the sequential changes in the positive acute phase reactants orosomucoid, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, alpha 1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin and C-reactive protein, and in the negative acute phase reactant, prealbumin, as well as in alpha 2-macroglobulin and beta 2-microglobulin in serum following orthotopic liver transplantation in nine adult patients. Synchronous increases in all five positive acute phase reactants were observed in association with acute liver rejection episodes; the elevations were statistically significant for orosomucoid and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin. In four out of nine well-documented rejection episodes C-reactive protein did not increase at all. Marked variations occurred in post-transplant prealbumin and alpha 2-macroglobulin levels; both proteins tended to decrease 2-3 days after the rejection was diagnosed. The circulating levels of beta 2-microglobulin were raised during the post-transplant period and markedly increased in association with acute graft rejection episodes. The results demonstrate marked changes in plasma protein concentrations in association with acute liver allograft rejection episodes; the kinetics of serum acute phase reactants is very similar to that found in inflammation and tissue injury in general.
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin / Q000097:blood; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D009961:Orosomucoid; D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin