title: Dynamic Changes of IFN-γ-producing Cells, TGF-β and Their Preidctive Value in Early Outcomees of Renal Transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A growing body of evidence demonstrated an immune etiology as well as nonimmune mechanisms for episodes of clinical acute rejection and long-term allograft dysfunction.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the correlation of IFN-γ-producing cells and TGF-β with incidence of clinical acute rejection in living-related and unrelated kidney allogarft recipients during the first post-transplant year.
  
  
  METHODS
  This multi-center study was performed on 57 kidney allograft recipients from living-related (n=20) and unrelated (n=37) donors between April 2011 and September 2012 and who were followed prospectively for a mean period of one year. Peripheral blood samples were collected from all patients pre-transplantation and at days 14, 30 and 90 after transplantation; PBMCs were used as responding cells in enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISPOT) assay to measure the frequency of IFN-γ-producing cells after stimulation with donor lymphocytes. Additionally, TGF-β levels were measured in cell culture supernatants of ELISPOT assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the follow-up period, 45 (79%) patients were diagnosed with stable graft function (group A); 12 (21%) experienced clinical acute rejection episodes (group B). The frequency of IFN-γ-producing cells was significantly (p<0.001) higher in the rejection group in all three times after transplantation. Also, post-transplantation comparison for TGF-β showed a significantly (p<0.001) higher contents in group A vs. group B. Comparing the post-transplantation levels of TGF-β and mean numbers of IFN-γ- producing cells between groups A and B demonstrated a continuous increment in TGF-β and decreasing frequencies of IFN-γ-producing cells in group A vs. group B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serial post-transplantation monitoring of IFN-γ-producing donor reactive cells during the first months is a clinically feasible approach for identification of kidney allogarft recipients at risk for ongoing immune-mediated graft damage and later graft loss.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immunology Research Center and Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immunology Research Center and Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Niknam
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Shahid Labbafinejad Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nafar
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Einollahi
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immunology Research Center and Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nazari
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lessanpezeshki
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Amirzargar
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Solgi
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immunology Research Center and Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nikbin
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immunology Research Center and Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Amirzargar
keywords: Allograft; IFN-γ; Kidney; TGF-β