Apoptosis and the expression of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) antigen in rejection and reinfection in liver allograft specimens.
METHODS
To investigate the frequency of apoptosis and the expression of Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) in liver allografts, we examined 97 biopsy specimens from 62 patients after orthotopic liver transplantation. The results of the biopsies were as follows: acute allograft rejection (n=32); hepatitis C virus (HCV) reinfection (n=18); cytomegalovirus infection (n=5); acute rejection plus HCV reinfection (n=3); and stable graft function (n=30); and after treatment of acute rejection (n=9).


RESULTS
Apoptotic cells were found in all cases examined, and their frequency increased significantly during acute rejection (0.17 vs. 9.0; P<0.05). The immunoreactivity of Fas and FasL antigen was higher in specimens with acute rejection than in those with stable graft function. Increased apoptosis, Fas, and FasL expression, however, were also seen in HCV reinfection.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that apoptosis plays an important role in the hepatocellular damage observed in acute rejection and also in HCV reinfection. However, these parameters are, taken by themselves, not useful as indicators of acute rejection or HCV reinfection.
Tannapfel
A
A
Institute of Pathology, Departments of Surgery, University of Leipzig, Germany. tana@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Kohlhaw
K
K
Ebelt
J
J
Hauss
J
J
Liebert
U
U
Berr
F
F
Wittekind
C
C
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001706:Biopsy; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012008:Recurrence; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism*
C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019014:fas Receptor