title: Endothelial cell activation contributes to the release of procoagulant microparticles during acute cardiac allograft rejection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Circulating procoagulant microparticles are reliable markers of vascular damage. The microparticle phenotypes provide additional information reflecting the nature of cell injury. This study assessed procoagulant microparticle levels and phenotypes in the diagnosis of acute allograft rejection after heart transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Microparticles were prospectively investigated in the venous blood of 64 heart transplant patients, 23 with allograft rejection mainly of low score, and 41 without a rejection episode. Plasma concentrations of cytokines, cytoadhesins, and platelet activation markers were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By univariate analysis, the mean time elapsed from heart transplant, cold ischemia time, E-selectin-, Fas- and tissue factor-bearing microparticles were associated with allograft rejection. By multivariate analysis, E-selectin-microparticle levels appeared independently associated with allograft rejection, even when other significant variables were included in the model (odds ratio, 9.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.36-71.4; p = 0.023).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pattern of procoagulant microparticles released during acute allograft rejection suggests endothelial cell activation and Fas-mediated apoptosis. E-selectin-bearing microparticles appeared as an independent marker of acute allograft rejection that was still informative after adjustment for graft characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Fédération de Cardiologie des Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, France. olivier.morel@chrustrasbourg.fr
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Morel
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ohlmann
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Epailly
authors.forename: Babe
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bakouboula
authors.forename: Fatiha
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zobairi
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jesel
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Marie-Pierre
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Chenard
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Freyssinet
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bareiss
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mazzucotelli
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Toti
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D017209:Apoptosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015539:Platelet Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016024:Receptors, Cytoadhesin / Q000097:blood; D013925:Thromboplastin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014461:Ultracentrifugation; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D019040:E-Selectin; C491901:FAS protein, human; D016024:Receptors, Cytoadhesin; D019014:fas Receptor; D013925:Thromboplastin