title: Serial monitoring of immunological parameters following human hand transplant.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although early successes have been achieved in human hand transplant, the changes of immunological parameters in the recipients and their relations to clinical events were not yet known.
  
  
  METHODS
  In two patients undergoing hand transplantation, we prospectively determined lymphocyte subsets using flow cytometry as well as the serum levels of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and interferon (IFN)-gamma using enzyme linked immunosorbent assays during the first 6 months after transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The decreases in CD, CD, CD T cell, the activated T cell (CD/CD, CD/HLA-DR(+)) as well as IL-2, IFN-gamma and corresponding significant peak in IL-10 in human hand transplant during the first post-transplant week were observed. Then these parameters recovered to the pre-transplant level except for an even higher level of CD T cell. The low CD/CD ratio was been maintained constantly. After 7 wk, IL-2, IFN-gamma, and IL-10 decreased to be maintained at a low or undetectable level except for slight increase in IL-10 at post-transplant month 5. There are no significant variation in TNF-alpha early after transplant. After 3 months, IL-10 was not detected again.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The immunosuppressive agents had significantly effects on the immunological status in human hand transplant recipients. These profiles of immunological parameters would be useful data for the future immunomonitoring in human hand transplant recipients.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedics Department, Guangzhou, Liuhuaqiao Hospital, Guangzhou, China. doctorzhengxiaofei@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Xiao-Fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Guo-Xian
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.forename: Yu-Rong
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Li-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Li-Qiang
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D063987:Hand Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D008297:Male; D015166:Monitoring, Immunologic; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma