Recent advances in heart transplant immunology: The role of antibodies

Heart transplantation (HT) has been an accepted therapy for end-stage heart failure in children since the 1980s. Despite improvements in early survival, long-term outcomes remain relatively unchanged [1], partly due to chronic, immune-mediated damage to the graft, which is distinct from the histologic changes observed in acute cellular rejection (ACR). Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is defined by the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation as the presence of endothelial injury on biopsy specimens along with immunohistochemical evidence of complement deposition in the graft [2].
Source: Progress in Pediatric Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research