11 - MAb in Transplantation Flashcards
Define transplantation
To transfer an organ or tissue from one part or individual to another
Define autotransplantation
Transplantation of organs, tissues, or particular proteins from one part of the body to another in the same person
Define allotransplantation
- Transplantation of cells, tissues, or organs to a recipient from a genetically non-identical donor of the same species
- Most human tissue and organ transplants are allografts
Define xenotransplantation
Transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another
Types of donors
- Heart beating donor
- Non-heart beating donor
- Living donor
Describe transplant rejection
- When the immune system of the host detects the transplant as foreign graft tissue, it launches an attack and results in tissue rejection
- Ultimate goal of transplant rejection tx = immune tolerance (state in which the host immune system recognized the foreign tissue but doesn’t react to it)
- Adaptive immune response
- Involves cellular immunity (killer T cells) and humoral immunity (B cells)
- Action is joined by components of innate immune response (phagocytes and soluble immune proteins)
- Different types of transplanted tissues tend to favour different balances of rejection mechanisms
How does major histocompatibility complex (MHC) affect transplantation?
- MHC classes 1 and 2
- Number of mismatched gene alleles encoding MHC correlates w/ rapidity and severity of transplant rejection
MHC matching
- Match HLA antigen between donor and recipient
- Most critical = matching at HLA-DR locus
- HLA-A and HLA-B are of less importance
ABO-incompatible transplant (ABOi)
- Children under 12 months or as old as 24 months
- Don’t have well developed immune system, so possible for them to receive organs from otherwise incompatible donors
- Graft survival and pt mortality is about the same between ABOi and ABO-compatible (ABOc) recipients
Describe immunological mechanism of rejection (minus humoral immunity)
- Immunization
- Immune memory – memory helper T cell’s receptor (CD4 receptor) recognizes antigen presented by MHC class 2 molecules; immune memory is pro-inflammatory
- Cellular immunity – cytotoxic T lymphocytes T cell receptor (CD8 receptor) recognizes antigen presented by MHC class 1 molecules; trigger target cell’s programmed cell death by apoptosis
Describe humoral immunological mechanism of rejection
- Antibody dependent cytotoxicity
- Opsonization (IgG’s Fc region can enable opsonization by a phagocyte through the Fc receptor on the phagocyte)
- Complement dependent cytotoxicity (conformational shifts of IgG’s Fc region can host a complement protein to initiate the complement cascade)
Hyperacute rejection
- Immediate (w/in minutes) and rare
- Initiated by pre-existing humoral immunity w/ complement activation
- After transplant, blood circulation returns and antibody binds to the grafted tissue, which activates the inflammatory response and the coagulation cascade
- Results in clot formation in blood vessels to new tissue
- Likely outcome of xenotransplant
Acute rejection
- Developing w/ formation of cellular immunity (mononuclear macrophages and T-lymphocytes)
- Usually begins 1 week after transplantation (highest in the first 3 months)
- Single episode isn’t a cause for concern if recognized and treated promptly; rarely leads to organ failure
- Recurrent episodes lead to chronic rejection, which can’t be treated
- Immunosuppressive drugs are effective
- Th cell activation takes 2 weeks
Chronic rejection
- Long-term loss of function in transplanted organs via fibrosis of the transplanted tissue’s blood vessels (chronic allograft vasculopathy)
- Irreversible but tissue typing and immunosuppressive drugs may decrease likelihood of chronic rejection
- If rejection can’t be managed, another transplant may be necessary
- Due to memory and specificity of the immune system, subsequent rejections occur even more quickly and vigorously
Mechanism of different transplant rejections
- Blood = antibodies
- Kidney and heart = antibodies and cell-mediated
- Skin and bone marrow = cell-mediated
- Cornea = usually accepted as cell-mediated unless vascularized
Graft vs. host disease (GVHD)
- Not only host immune system can attack donor organ
- Lymphocytes from donor are carried by the organ into the body of the recipient (host)
- If recipient is immunocompromised, foreign lymphocytes can attack recipient tissue => skin rashes, intestinal problems, organ failure, death
- Liver, spleen, and bone marrow transplants carry high risk of GVHD
Hyperacute rejection tx
- Usually manifests severely and w/in minutes
- Immediate tx is removal of the tissue
Chronic rejection tx
- Generally considered irreversible and poorly amenable to tx
- Tx = retransplant if feasible
Immunosuppressive drug options for transplantation
- Corticosteroids – prednisolone, hydrocortisone
- Calcineurin inhibitors – cyclosporine, tacrolimus
- Anti-proliferatives – azathioprine, mycophenolic acid
- mTOR inhibitors – sirolimus, everolimus
Why do we need MAb in solid organ transplantation?
- Available agents associated w/ significant pt and allograft adverse effects
- Leading cause of death in non-cardiac transplant recipients is a CV event linked to long-term corticosteroid exposure
- Chronic administration of calcineurin inhibitors (cyclosporine and tacrolimus) associated w/ acute and chronic kidney dysfunction
Antibody drugs for transplantation
- Monoclonal anti-IL-2R alpha receptor antibodies – basiliximab, daclizumab
- Monoclonal anti-CD52 antibody – alemtuzumab
- Monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody – rituximab
- Monoclonal anti-C5 antibody – eculizumab
- Polyclonal anti-T-cells antibodies – rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) and rabbit anti-lymphocyte globulin (ALG)
Application of Ab in transplantation (when can they be given)
- Pre-transplant -> decrease inherent immune-reactivity of the potential transplant recipient prior to engraftment
- During transplant -> induce global immunosuppression at the time of transplantation allowing modified intro of other immunosuppressive agents (calcineurin inhibitors or corticosteroids)
- After transplant -> sparse exposure to maintenance immunosuppressive agents
MAb administered pre-transplant **know this
- Used to desensitize recipient’s immune system
- Desensitization = immunosuppression administered prior to transplant to prevent hyperacute or early rejection in px who are known to have circulating antibodies (anti-A or anti-B) against human antigen
- Reserved for px who are “highly sensitized” during transplant evaluation
- Rituximab**
MAb administered at time of transplant
- Called induction
- Decreases need for corticosteroids and allows for delay or reduction in amount of calcineurin inhibitor used
- Determination of the recipient’s immunologic risk at the time of transplant should be done to determine which MAb to use in order to minimize the risk of early acute rejection and graft loss
- To minimize high risk for acute rejection or to maintain immunosuppression, use:
- Polyclonal antibody (ATG, ALG)
- Monoclonal antibody (alemtuzumab, daclizumab, basiliximab)