Comparison of T cell responses in patients with a long-term surviving renal allograft versus a long-term surviving liver allograft. It's a different world
van Twuyver, E.; de Hoop, J.; ten Berge, R.J.; Wilmink, J.M.; Lems, S.P.; van de Berg, A.P.; Slooff, M.J.; de Waal, L.P.
Transplantation 61(9): 1392-1397
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-1337 PMID: 8629303 Document Number: 460209
The aim of the present study was to analyze whether acquired transplantation tolerance had developed in patients with a long-term surviving renal or liver allograft. Analysis of antidonor cytotoxic T cell precursor frequencies was performed in 31 renal allograft recipients and 9 liver allograft recipients with good graft function 2 years after transplantation. The results demonstrated that, before transplantation, normal antidonor T cell responses were generated in both groups of patients. Two years after transplantation, donor-specific CTL nonresponsiveness had developed in a minority of the renal transplant recipients. In contrast, 8 out of 9 liver transplant recipients showed donor-specific mixed lymphocyte culture and CTL nonresponsiveness. These findings indicate that development of donor specific T cell nonresponsiveness is not a common event after kidney transplantation, whereas liver transplantation seems to induce, at least in vitro, a state of donor-specific T cell nonresponsiveness.