title: Value of mucosal biopsies in the monitoring of acute small bowel rejection.
abstract: The value of mucosal biopsies in evaluating small bowel rejection is controversial. In this study, the value of mucosal biopsies was estimated in unmodified porcine small bowel rejection. Ten animals received the distal half of the small bowel as a heterotopic loop (Thiry-Vella loop). The allografts were followed by proximally and distally harvested full-thickness and mucosal biopsies every other day, starting from the 3rd day and continuing until the grafts became necrotic. The histological parameters in both types of biopsies were semiquantitatively scored from 0 to 3 and compared with each other. The difference in mean values on the subsequent days was not remarkable, the results favoring slightly higher values in full-thickness than in mucosal biopsies. Our results suggest that multiple mucosal biopsies are adequate in monitoring morphological changes of small bowel grafts during rejection and that the proximal and distal ileum are similarly affected by acute rejection.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuusanmäki
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Halttunen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paavonen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pakarinen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lauronen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Häyry
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000637:transplantation*; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors