title: Histologic evaluation of post-implantation immediate C4d deposition in 13 intestinal grafts: correlation with cell-based crossmatching, cold ischemia time, and preservation injury.
abstract: C4d deposits are predictive of humoral rejection in kidney and heart transplantation. The aim of this study was to identify C4d deposit patterns in intestinal mucosa of the grafts on biopsy specimens obtained immediately after implantation and to detect if it could be a valuable tool to predict humoral or acute rejection. A second objective was to search for a statistically significant relationship between positive C4d deposition and other collected variables. Thirteen immediately post-transplantation mucosal graft biopsy specimens, formalin fixed, underwent immunohistochemical stain for C4d deposits. Diffuse intense staining of capillary endothelium was considered positive and absent, focal or weak stains as negative. Preservation injury grade and cold ischemia times were registered for each case. Donor-specific preformed antibodies were detected by complement dependent cytotoxicity serologic technique (crossmatching). Another 19 endoscopic follow-up biopsy specimens from days 2 to 6 were also evaluated. Statistical studies were made using the index of correlation ρ (Spearman's test). Diffuse intense C4d deposits were observed in 2 grafts, focal and weak in 5, and completely negative in 6. The mean cold ischemia time was 327 ± 101 minutes. Two cases showed diffuse positive deposits, 1 had a positive crossmatch and the cold ischemia time was 360 minutes whereas the other had not preformed antibodies and its cold ischemia time was 475 minutes. Humoral or acute rejection was not observed in follow-up mucosal biopsy specimens. There was no statistically significant relationship between the C4d deposition, cold ischemia time, crossmatching results, and preservation injury degree. In conclusion, C4d deposition was not a helpful tool for diagnosis of humoral rejection and prediction of acute rejection during the early post-transplantation period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: pl.lopez.garcia@gmail.com.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: López-García
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Calvo Pulido
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Colina
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ballestin Carcavilla
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Romero
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martinez González
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ibarrola de Andrés
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: López-Alonso
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cambra Molero
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Justo Alonso
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moreno-González
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D015331:Cohort Studies; D050377:Cold Ischemia; D015935:Complement C4b / Q000378:metabolism*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D019737:Transplants / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D015935:Complement C4b