title: Passenger lymphocytes in human liver allografts and their potential role after transplantation.
abstract: Rare cases of graft-versus-host disease after liver transplantation indicate that donor lymphocytes may be transferred to the recipient by human liver grafts. In this study, we have analyzed the number and subpopulations of donor lymphocytes transferred by liver grafts in order to evaluate the potential relevance of these cells after transplantation. Therefore, mononuclear cells were isolated from the tissue of perfused human donor livers and from the associated lymph nodes. The number of lymphocytes, their location, and surface marker expression were determined by immunostaining. The majority of lymphocytes transferred by the grafts were found within the liver tissue (5.3 +/- 2.9 x 10(9) cells). These lymphocytes are mainly T and NK cells, predominantly CD8+, are partially activated (28% HLA-DR+), and show strong adhesion molecule expression (88% LFA-1(3+)). In addition, 20-500 x 10(6) of resting lymphocytes, predominantly T and B cells, are transmitted by lymph nodes. These findings demonstrate that considerable numbers of donor lymphocytes of distinct phenotype are regularly transmitted to the recipient by human liver grafts and may be of functional relevance after transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Abdominal- und Transplantationschirurgie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schlitt
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raddatz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steinhoff
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wonigeit
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pichlmayr
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1 / Q000032:analysis; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D009926:Organ Preservation; D010477:Perfusion; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D016169:Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1