title: Endothelial cell chimerism by fluorescence in situ hybridization in gender mismatched renal allograft biopsies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The blood vessels of a transplanted organ are the interface between donor and recipient. The endothelium in the blood vessels is thought to be the major target for graft rejection. Endothelial cells of a transplanted organ can be of recipient origin after transplantation. In this study, we tested whether endothelial chimerism correlated with the graft rejection and cold ischemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the biopsy samples from 34 renal transplants of female recipients who received the kidney from a male donor for the presence of endothelial cells of recipient origin. We examined the tissue sections of renal biopsy samples by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for the presence of endothelial cells containing two X chromosomes using a biotinylated Y chromosome probe and digoxigenin labelled X chromosome probe, and then analyzed the relationship between the endothelial cell chimerism and the rejection and cold ischemia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Endothelial chimerism was common and irrespective of rejections (P > 0.05). The cold ischemic time of chimerism group was longer than no chimerism group ((14.83 +/- 4.03) hours vs (11.27 +/- 3.87) hours, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no correlation between the percentage of recipient endothelial cells in vascular endothelial cells and the type of graft rejection. The endothelium damaged by ischemic injury might be repaired by the endothelial cells from the recipient.
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Centre of PLA, Second Affiliated Hospital of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100091, China.
authors.forename: Hong-wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Bing-yi
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Ye-yong
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Yan-qun
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Na
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Ding-rong
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Wan-zhong
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Sha-fei
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D013997:Time Factors; D018183:Transplantation Chimera; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous