Patterns of de novo allo B cells and antibody formation in chronic cardiac allograft rejection after alemtuzumab treatment.

Journal Article (Journal Article)

Even though the etiology of chronic rejection (CR) is multifactorial, donor specific antibody (DSA) is considered to have a causal effect on CR development. Currently the antibody-mediated mechanisms during CR are poorly understood due to lack of proper animal models and tools. In a clinical setting, we previously demonstrated that induction therapy by lymphocyte depletion, using alemtuzumab (anti-human CD52), is associated with an increased incidence of serum alloantibody, C4d deposition and antibody-mediated rejection in human patients. In this study, the effects of T cell depletion in the development of antibody-mediated rejection were examined using human CD52 transgenic (CD52Tg) mice treated with alemtuzumab. Fully mismatched cardiac allografts were transplanted into alemtuzumab treated CD52Tg mice and showed no acute rejection while untreated recipients acutely rejected their grafts. However, approximately half of long-term recipients showed increased degree of vasculopathy, fibrosis and perivascular C3d depositions at posttransplant day 100. The development of CR correlated with DSA and C3d deposition in the graft. Using novel tracking tools to monitor donor-specific B cells, alloreactive B cells were shown to increase in accordance with DSA detection. The current animal model could provide a means of testing strategies to understand mechanisms and developing therapeutic approaches to prevent chronic rejection.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Kwun, J; Oh, BC; Gibby, AC; Ruhil, R; Lu, VT; Kim, DW; Page, EK; Bulut, OP; Song, MQ; Farris, AB; Kirk, AD; Knechtle, SJ; Iwakoshi, NN

Published Date

  • October 2012

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 12 / 10

Start / End Page

  • 2641 - 2651

PubMed ID

  • 22759336

Pubmed Central ID

  • PMC5464351

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1600-6143

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2012.04181.x

Language

  • eng

Conference Location

  • United States