Hunter-Transplantation immunology Flashcards
What are some common organs to transplant?
Kidney, liver, pancreas, intestine, heart, lung
What is the biggest difficulty facing transplants?
Not surgical technique. Supply of organs & difficulties of immunosuppression.
What are the transplants that have the highests 5 year graft survival?
Kidney (81%)
Heart (74%)
Cornea (70%)
Why does the cornea have such a high rate of survival?
b/c it is not highly vascularized—difficult for the immune system to get to it.
What does allogeneic mean?
We are genetically different. Almost all transplants are allogeneic.
This means that antigenic differences between individuals (alloantigens) induce alloreactive immune responses.
What is the most important alloantigen?
MHC proteins—this has the greatest number of alleles-so much room for differences!!
Which MHC is more important in transplantations?
MHC I is more important. This is found on all cell types, not just on hematopoietic cells.
Where is the HLA complex located? What does it code for?
Located on chromosome 6 & codes for MHC!
What are the alleles for MHCI?
6 alleles. A, B, C (from both parents)
What are the alleles for MHC II?
6 alleles
HLA-DQ, HLA-DP, HLA-DR
T/F The MHC portion of the genome is polygenic, but not polymorphic.
False. It is both polygenic & polymorphic. Multiple genes, and a large number of alleles.
T/F MHC genes have the most alleles of any loci in human genome
True
What is codominance w/ respect to MHC?
Both alleles (from both parents) are expressed on the cell surface.
What is the one case where it is possible that 2 people will have the same MHC haplotype?
Monozyogtic identical twins.
What is an autograft? Is it usually successful?
This is a transplant b/w one site on your own body & another site. Usu successful.
What is a syngeneic graft?
This is a transplant b/w 2 genetically identical humans. Usu successful.
Which types of grafts often cause acute rejection if no additional treatment is given?
Allografts (from a different person)
Xenografts (from a different species)
**can cause rapid death of transplanted tissue
**NOTE: this could happen with a 1 AA difference b/w 2 people’s MHC.
What is the most common & successful tissue transplant? Why is it so much more successful than others?
Blood transfusions! RBCs & platelets only have a few MHC molecules. Only really need to match it for ABO & Rh. 4 Major blood types w/ the Rh consideration.
How do you get syngeneic grafts in mice?
You inbreed them until they are totally genetically identical.
What is first-set rejection?
This is rejection of a graft that is MHC allogeneic in 10-13 days. The first time this graft has been seen. Primary immune response.
What is second-set rejection?
A second graft on the same animal is rejected even faster b/c of immunological memory. Less than 10 days.
What happens when you do a T cell transfer from a sensitized mouse to a naïve mouse & then do an allogeneic transplant?
You get second-set rejection rate b/c of the immunological memory of the T cells.
T/F If you have a donor who is a sibling with the same MHC haplotype, there will be absolutely no graft rejection.
False. It will delay it, but not eliminate it. There are minor histocompatibility antigens that eventually induce T cell mediated immune responses that destroy the graft.
Describe direct allorecognition that leads to graft rejection.
APCs from graft present graft peptides & migrate in blood to lymphoid organs. They present the graft peptide on their MHC to host T cells with costimulation.
Effector T cells (CD4 & CD8) are activated.
CD8 kill the grafts directly.
CD4 release cytokines & cause inflammation & fibrosis of the graft.
Describe indirect allorecognition that leads to graft rejection.
Graft peptides are presented on host APC. You still get host effector T cells activated & direct killing & inflammation.
What is hyperacute graft rejection?
Occurs within minutes of transplantation and is characterized bythrombosisof graft vessels and ischemicnecrosisof the graft
Mediated by pre-existing recipient natural antibodies specific for antigens on graft endothelial cells (e.g. blood group antigens)
**complement & clotting systems are activated.
Why doesn’t hyperacute graft rejection happen anymore?
We do blood typing & cross matching. We find a good match. See if the recipient has any antibodies to the donor’s RBCs or WBCs.
What is cross matching?
Testing to see if the recipient of a graft has any antibodies to the donor’s WBCs
Acute graft rejection happens in what time period?
Days-weeks after the graft has been placed.
What mediates acute graft rejection?
CD8T cells recognize alloantigens on the graft.
Antibodies & complement also contribute to this.
Get inflammation, attack of b.v. & loss of blood supply to the organ.
Why doesn’t acute graft rejection happen anymore?
Current immunosuppressive therapy
An 18-year-old student with end-stage renal failure due to chronic glomerulonephritis was given a cadaveric kidney transplant. He had been on maintenance hemodialysis for 2 months. His major blood group was A and his tissue type was HLA-A1, -A9, -B8, -B40, -Cw1, -Cw3, -DR3, -DR7. The donor kidney was also blood group A and was matched for one HLA-DR antigen and four of six HLA-ABC antigens. He was given triple immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporin, azathioprine and prednisolone. He passed 5 L of urine on the second post-operative day and his urea and creatinine fell appreciably. However, on the seventh postoperative day, his graft became slightly tender, his serum creatinine increased and he had a mild pyrexia (37.8°C).What is this patient experiencing?
Acute graft rejection.
His major blood group was A and his tissue type was HLA-A1, -A9, -B8, -B40, -Cw1, -Cw3, -DR3, -DR7. The donor kidney was also blood group A and was matched for one HLA-DR antigen and four of six HLA-ABC antigens. Is this a good match?
No, this is allogenic definitely.
If you did a fine needle aspiration of this patient…what would you expect to find?
A lymphocytic infiltration consistent with acute graft rejection.
What is the treatment for acute graft rejection?
IV corticosteroids. Daily immunosuppressive drugs.
T/F If you have a transplant (aside from a corneal transplant) you will be on immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of your life.
True.