Biomaterial Database

Serum citrulline and rejection in small bowel transplantation: a preliminary report. 2001

P A Pappas, and J M Saudubray, and A G Tzakis, and D Rabier, and M R Carreno, and O Gomez-Marin, and F Huijing, and B Gelman, and D M Levi, and J R Nery, and T Kato, and N Mittal, and S Nishida, and J F Thompson, and P Ruiz

Department of Surgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, Highland Professional Building, 1801 NW 9th Ave., Suite 511 Miami, FL 33136, USA.

BACKGROUND There is no known serum marker for intestinal rejection. Serum concentrations of the amino acid citrulline arise almost exclusively from the intestinal mucosa. We examined the impact of acute cellular rejection (ACR) of intestinal allografts on serum citrulline levels. METHODS Citrulline concentrations were assayed in serum samples of healthy volunteers (n=6) and seven patients who underwent small bowel transplants (SBTx). Trends in mean citrulline concentrations versus degree of ACR were assessed by matching posttransplantation citrulline concentrations with patients' grade of ACR at time of serum collection. Rejection was confirmed by biopsy and graded by following standardized criteria. An additional patient had citrulline concentrations determined for 31 sequential specimens 3-60 days posttransplant. RESULTS Mean citrulline concentrations in controls were significantly higher than posttransplantation samples at any rejection grade. Mean concentrations declined significantly as rejection severity increased. The overall downward trend was statistically significant (P<0.05). In sequential measurements, citrulline levels increased significantly over time with declining severity of rejection. The increase in mean citrulline concentration between posttransplant days 3-16 and 52-60 was significant (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Serum citrulline levels decline with increasing grade of ACR and may be a useful serum marker for intestinal rejection.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007421	Intestine, Small	The portion of the GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT between the PYLORUS of the STOMACH and the ILEOCECAL VALVE of the LARGE INTESTINE. It is divisible into three portions: the DUODENUM, the JEJUNUM, and the ILEUM.	Small Intestine,Intestines, Small,Small Intestines
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009994	Osmolar Concentration	The concentration of osmotically active particles in solution expressed in terms of osmoles of solute per liter of solution. Osmolality is expressed in terms of osmoles of solute per kilogram of solvent.	Ionic Strength,Osmolality,Osmolarity,Concentration, Osmolar,Concentrations, Osmolar,Ionic Strengths,Osmolalities,Osmolar Concentrations,Osmolarities,Strength, Ionic,Strengths, Ionic
D012016	Reference Values	The range or frequency distribution of a measurement in a population (of organisms, organs or things) that has not been selected for the presence of disease or abnormality.	Normal Range,Normal Values,Reference Ranges,Normal Ranges,Normal Value,Range, Normal,Range, Reference,Ranges, Normal,Ranges, Reference,Reference Range,Reference Value,Value, Normal,Value, Reference,Values, Normal,Values, Reference
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D002956	Citrulline
D006084	Graft Rejection	An immune response with both cellular and humoral components, directed against an allogeneic transplant, whose tissue antigens are not compatible with those of the recipient.	Transplant Rejection,Rejection, Transplant,Transplantation Rejection,Graft Rejections,Rejection, Graft,Rejection, Transplantation,Rejections, Graft,Rejections, Transplant,Rejections, Transplantation,Transplant Rejections,Transplantation Rejections
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man