E-selectin expression in human cardiac grafts with cellular rejection.
BACKGROUND
E-selectin expression has recently been documented to occur with lymphocytic infiltration in the skin and synovium. The question of whether E-selectin is expressed in the context of cardiac graft rejection was addressed in this study.


RESULTS
One hundred ninety-five human posttransplant cardiac biopsy specimens were immunoreacted with antibodies to E-selectin and VCAM-1, and endothelial expression of both adhesion molecules was recorded as present or absent. Cardiac graft rejection was graded in blinded fashion. The frequency of E-selectin expression was 11% in biopsies without rejection, 36% in mild rejection, and 58% in moderate rejection, a significant correlation (P < .001). VCAM-1 expression was present in 11% of biopsies with no rejection, 37% with mild rejection, and 85% with moderate rejection, corroborating the previously reported strong correlation between VCAM-1 expression and graft rejection (P < .0001). In 71% of specimens, E-selectin expression coincided with VCAM-1 expression. In the remaining 29% of specimens in which E-selectin and VCAM-1 expression were not both present, isolated E-selectin expression was found more frequently in biopsies with early, increasing rejection, whereas isolated VCAM-1 expression was found more frequently in specimens with established moderate rejection and later, resolving rejection.


CONCLUSIONS
E-selectin is expressed in cardiac allograft rejection and may play a role in recruitment of lymphocytes into the graft. Rejection trend analysis suggests that E-selectin expression may be prominent early in the course of rejection.
Allen
M D
MD
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
McDonald
T O
TO
Himes
V E
VE
Fishbein
D P
DP
Aziz
S
S
Reichenbach
D D
DD
D001706:Biopsy; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000276:immunology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D019040:E-Selectin; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D019040:E-Selectin; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1