title: Expression of allograft inflammatory factor-1 (AIF-1) in acute cellular rejection of cardiac allografts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To date, there are no good biomarkers for diagnosing and predicting the progression of cardiac allograft rejection. Previous studies have shown a correlation of allograft inflammatory factor-1 (AIF-1) to human cardiac allograft rejection; however these studies were limited in sample size and did not address whether AIF-1 could be used as a biomarker in diagnosing and predicting the progression of cardiac allograft rejection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using immunohistochemistry, AIF-1 expression was determined in cardiomyocytes (CMCs), mononuclear cells (MNCs) and Quilty lesions in 192 allograft endomyocardial biopsies and 37 heart specimens from nontransplant patients with diverse heart diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AIF-1 was found in both cardiac allografts and hearts with other cardiac diseases. In cardiac allografts, expression levels of AIF-1 in both CMCs and MNCs directly correlated with the severity of cardiac cellular rejection. AIF-1 expression was also elevated in Quilty B lesions, but not in Quilty A lesions. The rejection grade in subsequent biopsies increased in biopsies that had low-grade rejection with high CMC AIF-1 scores or Quilty B lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AIF-1 was expressed in both CMCs and MNCs in hearts with various adverse conditions including but not limited to heart transplantation. In cardiac transplantation, AIF-1 was associated with the severity of cardiac allograft rejection and Quilty B lesions, which could predict subsequent increases in rejection grade. Thus, AIF-1 shows promise that it can be a potential biomarker for cardiac allograft rejection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology at University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA. xzhou@umc.edu
authors.forename: Xinchun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jefferey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henegar
authors.forename: Bret
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bigler
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004699:Endocardium / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011183:Postoperative Complications
chemical_list: C112986:AIF1 protein, human; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins