Cold ischemic injury, aortic allograft vasculopathy, and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to understand the role of ischemic preservation injury and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in the progression of allograft vasculopathy.


METHODS
Using the rat aortic transplant model, grafts were stored at 4 degrees C for either 1 or 24 h. Graft vasculopathy was assessed at 4 and 8 weeks after transplantation. Intra-graft cytokine expression was measured at days 1, 3 and, 7 after transplantation.


RESULTS
At 4 weeks, intimal hyperplasia of allografts was greater than isografts (P<0.05). At 8 weeks, all groups had an increase in graft vascular disease compared to the 4-week groups (P<0.05). Allografts preserved for 24 h displayed a greater degree of vessel-wall reaction than both isograft groups and allografts stored for 1 h (P<0.05). An increased expression of the cytokines, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta, IL-2, INF-gamma, IL-1, and IL-6 was noted in the allografts stored for 24 h compared to similarly treated isografts (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Prolonged ischemic preservation injury induced vascular disease in both isografts and allografts. The vessel wall reaction increased over time and was greater in allografts than isografts. The enhanced expression of T cell- and macrophage associated cytokines in allografts compared to isografts, suggested that early pro-inflammatory cytokine expression played an important role in progression of allograft vasculopathy.
Knight
Richard J
RJ
Division of Immunology and Organ Transplantation, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. richard.j.knight@uth.tmc.edu
Liu
Hui
H
Fishman
Eric
E
Reis
Ernane D
ED
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D015925:Cryopreservation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006965:Hyperplasia; D023421:Models, Animal; D009926:Organ Preservation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D019737:Transplants; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D016207:Cytokines