Significance of complement split product C4d in ABO-compatible liver allograft: diagnosing utility in acute antibody mediated rejection. 2012

Sharif Ali, and Adrian Ormsby, and Veena Shah, and Maria C Segovia, and Kristin L Kantz, and Sharon Skorupski, and A Bradley Eisenbrey, and Meredith Mahan, and Mary Ann Y Huang
Henry Ford Hospital, USA. alisa@upmc.edu

Diagnosis of liver allograft antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is difficult and requires a constellation of clinical, laboratory and histologic features that support the disease and exclude other causes. Histologic features of AMR may intermix with those of biliary obstruction, preservation/reperfusion injury, and graft ischemia. Tissue examination for complement degradation product 4d (C4d) has been proved to support this diagnosis in other allografts. For this reason, we conducted a retrospective review of all ABO compatible/identical re-transplanted liver patients with primary focus on identifying AMR as a possible cause of graft failure and to investigate the utility of C4d in liver allograft specimens. We reviewed 193 liver samples obtained from 53 consecutive ABO-compatible re-transplant patients. 142 specimens were stained with C4d. Anti-donor antibody screening and identification was determined by Luminex100 flow cytometry. For the study analysis, patients were stratified into 3 groups according to time to graft failure: group A, patients with graft failure within 0-7 days (n=7), group B within 8-90 days (n=13) and C >90 days (n=33). Two patients (3.7%) met the diagnostic criteria of acute AMR. Both patients experienced rapid decline of graft function with presence of donor specific antibodies (DSA), morphologic evidence of humoral rejection and C4d deposition in liver specimens. C4d-positive staining was identified in different medical liver conditions i.e., acute cellular rejection (52%), chronic ductopenic rejection (50%), recurrent liver disease (48%), preservation injury (18%), and hepatic necrosis (54%). Univariate analysis showed no significant difference of C4d-positive staining among the 3 patients groups, or patients with DSA (P>.05). In conclusion, AMR after ABO-compatible liver transplantation is an uncommon cause of graft failure. Unlike other solid organ allografts, C4d-positive staining is not a rugged indicator of humoral rejection, thus, interpretation should be done with caution to avoid diagnostic dilemmas.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007518 Isoantibodies Antibodies from an individual that react with ISOANTIGENS of another individual of the same species. Alloantibodies
D008099 Liver A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances. Livers
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D010446 Peptide Fragments Partial proteins formed by partial hydrolysis of complete proteins or generated through PROTEIN ENGINEERING techniques. Peptide Fragment,Fragment, Peptide,Fragments, Peptide
D005260 Female Females
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
D006650 Histocompatibility Testing Identification of the major histocompatibility antigens of transplant DONORS and potential recipients, usually by serological tests. Donor and recipient pairs should be of identical ABO blood group, and in addition should be matched as closely as possible for HISTOCOMPATIBILITY ANTIGENS in order to minimize the likelihood of allograft rejection. (King, Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed) Crossmatching, Tissue,HLA Typing,Tissue Typing,Crossmatchings, Tissue,HLA Typings,Histocompatibility Testings,Testing, Histocompatibility,Testings, Histocompatibility,Tissue Crossmatching,Tissue Crossmatchings,Tissue Typings,Typing, HLA,Typing, Tissue,Typings, HLA,Typings, Tissue
D006651 Histocytochemistry Study of intracellular distribution of chemicals, reaction sites, enzymes, etc., by means of staining reactions, radioactive isotope uptake, selective metal distribution in electron microscopy, or other methods. Cytochemistry
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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