Cellular Immune Response during Rejection of a Liver Transplant in Man

Abstract

THE diagnosis of rejection of transplanted organs can be difficult. Function of a renal transplant can be similarly affected by ischaemia, obstruction and rejection. Anorexia, and malaise may be the earliest signs of rejection of a heart transplant¹ but are clearly difficult to interpret, and a rise in serum enzyme concentrations may occur too late to be of practical value. Rejection of a liver transplant may be accompanied by a cholestatic jaundice², but a drug reaction, particularly to azathioprine used in immuno-suppressive therapy, serum hepatitis and extrahepatic-obstruction, can all produce the same picture. First set, rejection of transplanted organs seems to be mediated by cellular immune mechanisms rather than circulating; antibodies³. If alterations in the cellular immune response could be detected in vitro the diagnosis might be made with more certainty and treatment instituted more, rapidly.