Amelioration of human allograft arterial injury by atorvastatin or simvastatin correlates with reduction of interferon-gamma production by infiltrating T cells.

Background: Graft arteriosclerosis (GA) is an important factor limiting long-term outcomes after organ transplantation. We have used a chimeric humanized mouse system to model this arteriopathy in human vessels, and found that the morphologic and functional changes of experimental GA are interferon (IFN)-gamma dependent. This study evaluated whether 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, described as inhibitors of IFN-gamma production, affect GA in our model.

Human allograft arterial injury is ameliorated by sirolimus and cyclosporine and correlates with suppression of interferon-gamma.

Background: Chronic allograft dysfunction may result from arterial injury, manifest as transplant arteriosclerosis (TA). This represents an important factor limiting long-term outcomes after heart and kidney transplantation; a relationship between acute allograft arterial injury and TA has been suggested. We have used SCID/bg mice bearing transplanted human artery, inoculated with allogeneic human PBMC to study arteriopathy in human vessels.