title: Tailoring of immunosuppression in renal and liver allograft recipients displaying donor specific T-suppressor cells.
abstract: Although transplantation tolerance cannot be yet reliably achieved in humans, there is evidence that active immunosuppression contributes to the maintenance of quiescence. However, the mechanism that underlies quiescence and the precise identity of regulatory cells are not completely understood. We have demonstrated that allograft recipients who remain rejection-free display allospecific T-suppressor cells (Ts). Ts express the CD8(+) CD28(-) phenotype, recognize major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens, and suppress the up-regulation of costimulatory molecules induced by CD40 ligation of donor antigen presenting cells. The presence of Ts is inversely correlated with T cell alloreactivity to donor MHC peptides, alloantibody production, and rejection. Monitoring of Ts has been successfully used in our studies for tailoring immunosuppression in kidney and liver allograft recipients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Universita di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaello
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cortesini
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Renna-Molajoni
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cinti
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pretagostini
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suciu-Foca Cortesini
mesh_terms: D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D015166:Monitoring, Immunologic; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous