Pre-transplant Th1 and post-transplant Th2 cytokine patterns are associated with early acute rejection in renal transplant recipients.
In this retrospective study, we tried to define pre- and post-transplant immunological parameters that identify patients at risk for early acute rejection. Lymphocyte subpopulations and plasma levels of cytokines and neopterin were determined pre- and post-transplant in 32 renal transplant recipients with biopsy-proven early acute graft rejection. Recipients without early acute rejection served as controls. High pre-transplant interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) plasma levels (p = 0.006), consistently high levels of neopterin early post-transplant (p = 0.008), a post-transplant switch from a Th1 to a Th2 cytokine pattern with decreasing IFN-gamma (p = 0.02), low CD8+ lymphocyte counts (p = 0.006) and consistently high CD19+ B lymphocyte counts were associated with acute rejection. Our data suggest that patients with a pre-transplant Th1 and an early post-transplant Th2 cytokine pattern are pre-disposed for early acute rejection.
Sadeghi
M
M
Department of Transplantation-Immunology and Department of Urology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Daniel
V
V
Weimer
R
R
Wiesel
M
M
Hergesell
O
O
Opelz
G
G
D000328:Adult; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D019798:Neopterin / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
D016207:Cytokines; D019798:Neopterin