Allograft rejection is the consequence of the recipient's alloimmune response to nonself antigens expressed by donor tissues. After transplantation of organ allografts, there are two pathways of antigen presentation. In the direct pathway, recipient T cells react to intact allogeneic MHC molecules expressed on the surface of donor cells. This pathway would activate host CD4 or CD8 T cells. In contrast, donor MHC molecules (and all other proteins) shed from the graft can be taken up by host APCs and presented to recipient T cells in the context of self-MHC molecules - the indirect pathway. Such presentation activates predominantly CD4 T cells. A direct cytotoxic T-cell attack on graft cells can be made only by T cells that recognize the graft MHC molecules directly. Nonetheless, T cells with indirect allospecificity can contribute to graft rejection by activating macrophages, which cause tissue injury and fibrosis, and are also likely to be important in the development of an alloantibody response to graft.
Category
Immune system disease
Brite
Human diseases in ICD-11 classification [BR:br08403]
22 Injury, poisoning or certain other consequences of external causes
Injury or harm arising from surgical or medical care, not elsewhere classified
NE84 Failure or rejection of transplanted organs or tissues
H00083 Allograft rejection
Warle MC, Farhan A, Metselaar HJ, Hop WC, Perrey C, Zondervan PE, Kap M, de Rave S, Kwekkeboom J, Ijzermans JN, Tilanus HW, Pravica V, Hutchinson IV, Bouma GJ.
Title
Cytokine gene polymorphisms and acute human liver graft rejection.
Lacha J, Hribova P, Kotsch K, Brabcova I, Bartosova K, Volk HD, Vitko S.
Title
Effect of cytokines and chemokines (TGF-beta, TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10, MCP-1, RANTES) gene polymorphisms in kidney recipients on posttransplantation outcome: influence of donor-recipient match.
