Transplantation Flashcards
- What is the average half-life of a transplanted kidney?
12 years
- What are the three phases of an immune response to a graft?
Phase 1: recognition of foreign antigens
Phase 2: activation of antigen-specific lymphocytes
Phase 3: effector phase of graft rejection
- What are the most relevant cellular proteins that can determine compatibility?
ABO
HLA
- Which chromosome is HLA encoded on?
Chromosome 6
- What are the two major components of rejection?
T cell-mediated rejection
Antibody-mediated rejection
- Describe the basic structure of HLA Class I and Class II.
Class I: have three alpha domains and a beta-2 microglobulin domain, has one transmembrane domain
Class II: has two alpha and two beta domains, had two transmembrane domains
- Which alleles encode HLA Class I and Class II?
Class I: A, B and C
Class II: DP, DQ, DR
- Where are HLA Class I and Class II expressed?
Class I: all cells
Class II: antigen-presenting cells (can be upregulated at times of stress)
- What is the benefit of having high variability in the peptide-binding groove of MHC?
Can present a wide variety of antigens
- What is the disadvantage of the variability in the peptide-binding groove of MHC with regards to transplants?
This means that the host immune system can react with the slightly different MHC of the donor leading to rejection
- Which HLA alleles are most immunogenic?
A, B and DR
- What are the actions of activated T cells?
Proliferation Production of cytokines (IL2 is important) Provide help for CD8+ T cells Provide help for antibody production Recruit phagocytes
- Where do the antigen-presenting cells that interact with host T cells come from?
From the recipient and the donor (the donated organ will contain many APCs)
NOTE: a lot of these interactions will happen in lymph nodes
- Which test is used to give a definitive diagnosis of graft rejection?
Biopsy
- Describe the effector phase of T-cell mediated graft rejection.
T cells tether, roll and arrest on the endothelial cell surface
They will migrate across into the interstitium and start attacking the tubular epithelium
Macrophages (recruited by T cells) may also be seen in the interstitium