Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is the single most important long-term limitation to heart transplantation. This study aimed to assess the value of monitoring soluble human leukocyte antigen-G (sHLA-G) during the first year post-transplantation to predict the severity of CAV, in 21 out of 77 heart recipients assessed by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Serum sHLA-G concentration increased after transplant in recipients free of severe CAV, but decreased in recipients suffering from severe CAV, significant differences between these two groups were found 6 to 12 months post-transplantation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFViral infections and cellular acute rejection (AR) condition immunosuppressive therapy and compromise the evolution of allografts. Immune monitoring can be useful for ascertaining rejection and for differentiating allo-reaction from activation induced by infections. This work analyzes the usefulness of monitoring the expression of CD28 and KIR2D receptors in peripheral blood T lymphocytes by flow cytometry, to ascertain the immune response in heart and liver transplant recipients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNatural killer (NK) and CD8(+) T cells may be active elements in the allograft response, but little is known about their role in liver transplantation. Some of these cells express killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), which after binding specific ligands may transmit inhibitory/activating signals. In this study, circulating NK and CD8(+) T cells expressing CD158a/h (KIR2DL1/S1) or CD158b/j (KIR2DL2/3/S(2)) receptors were analyzed in 142 liver recipients by flow cytometry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of cryopreservation in series of peripheral blood progenitor cells stratified by diagnosis, mobilization treatments, and cell concentration, as well as the accuracy of the control aliquots.
Study Design And Methods: Viability and colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM), CD34+ cell, lymphocyte, monocyte, and granulocyte counts and recovery were analyzed in 397 leukapheresis procedures before freezing and after thawing. Data from control cryotubes were compared to those from infusing bags.