Endothelial activation and cytokine expression in human acute cardiac allograft rejection
Abstract
By extrapolation from the responses of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (EC) and bovine aortic EC to short-term cytokine stimulation, EC activation is postulated as a likely component of the host response in acute allograft rejection and cardiac transplant-associated accelerated arteriosclerosis. To investigate the extent to which EC activation occurs in vivo in humans and to identify potential targets for therapeutic interventions, we compared the phenotypic characteristics of vascular EC as seen during clinicopathologically significant vs non-significant acute cardiac allograft rejection. We used monoclonal and monospecific polyclonal antibodies to coagulation molecules [tissue factor, thrombomodulin (TM), antithrombin III (AT-III), fibrinogen/fibrin, cross-linked fibrin and von Willebrand factor (vWF)], adhesion molecules (P-selectin, ICAM-1) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II molecules. In addition we sought evidence of local cytokine production (IL-1, IL-2R, IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, TNF-alpha, PDGF-AA, PDGF-BB), which might mediate alterations in expression of these proteins. We found that in clinically significant grades of cardiac allograft rejection requiring increased immunosuppress...Continue Reading
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