Positive association of anticytoskeletal endothelial cell antibodies and cardiac allograft rejection.

Using an indirect immunofluorescence method on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), we investigated the presence of antiendothelial cell antibodies (AECA) in 136 pre- and posttransplant serum samples sequentially collected from 31 patients during the first year after cardiac transplantation. A healthy control group was also included (n = 87). Colocalization studies demonstrated a positive staining pattern of different cytoskeletal components (cytoskeletal-antiendothelial cell antibodies, CSK-AECA) including antivimentin, antiactin, antitubulin, and anticytokeratin among heart transplanted patients.