Antibody deposition in rat heart which develops transplant vasculopathy in (donor x recipient) F1 environment.

Purpose: We studied the gene expression in rat cardiac allografts retransplanted into (donor x recipient) F1 animals to identify unknown or unexpected genes whose expression might contribute to the progression of transplant vasculopathy.

Methods: Gene expression was first studied using a mRNA differential display, then it was further investigated using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry.

Results: We found that the rat immunoglobulin kappa chain gene was preferentially induced in retransplanted cardiac allografts in which transplant vasculopathy was developing.