BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate calcineurin activity and interleukin-2 (IL-2) expression by peripheral blood cells as a means of assessing the immune status of liver transplant recipients. METHODS: Twenty-one patients were studied in a randomized study comparing cyclosporine and tacrolimus as the main immunosuppressive drug. Calcineurin activity was determined after separation of phosphorylated and dephosphorylated products of a calcineurin specific peptide substrate by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Intracellular IL-2 expression was measured by flow cytometry. In 34 additional patients, intracellular IL-2 expression was prospectively measured. RESULTS:Calcineurin activity fell after transplantation. Values were marginally higher in patients with acute rejection (P=0.059). The percentage of IL-2-producing T cells fell after transplantation. This percentage did not differ between patients with and without rejection. In contrast, the proportion of IL-2-producing CD8+ T cells was higher in patients with acute rejection than in patients free of acute rejection (P=0.003). Moreover, pretransplantation IL-2 expression by CD8+ T cells was higher in patients who subsequently developed acute rejection, suggesting that IL-2 production may be constitutively higher in those patients. The results obtained in the 34 additional patients confirmed these results. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that quantification of intracellular IL-2 in CD8+ T cells may be a useful index of immune status in liver transplant recipients. Preoperative IL-2 levels might serve to individually tailor the immunosuppressive regimen.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate calcineurin activity and interleukin-2 (IL-2) expression by peripheral blood cells as a means of assessing the immune status of liver transplant recipients. METHODS: Twenty-one patients were studied in a randomized study comparing cyclosporine and tacrolimus as the main immunosuppressive drug. Calcineurin activity was determined after separation of phosphorylated and dephosphorylated products of a calcineurin specific peptide substrate by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Intracellular IL-2 expression was measured by flow cytometry. In 34 additional patients, intracellular IL-2 expression was prospectively measured. RESULTS: Calcineurin activity fell after transplantation. Values were marginally higher in patients with acute rejection (P=0.059). The percentage of IL-2-producing T cells fell after transplantation. This percentage did not differ between patients with and without rejection. In contrast, the proportion of IL-2-producing CD8+ T cells was higher in patients with acute rejection than in patients free of acute rejection (P=0.003). Moreover, pretransplantation IL-2 expression by CD8+ T cells was higher in patients who subsequently developed acute rejection, suggesting that IL-2 production may be constitutively higher in those patients. The results obtained in the 34 additional patients confirmed these results. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that quantification of intracellular IL-2 in CD8+ T cells may be a useful index of immune status in liver transplant recipients. Preoperative IL-2 levels might serve to individually tailor the immunosuppressive regimen.
Authors: Giacomo Germani; Kryssia Rodriguez-Castro; Francesco Paolo Russo; Marco Senzolo; Alberto Zanetto; Alberto Ferrarese; Patrizia Burra Journal: World J Gastroenterol Date: 2015-01-28 Impact factor: 5.742
Authors: Bora Akoglu; Susanne Kriener; Swantje Martens; Eva Herrmann; Wolf Peter Hofmann; Vladan Milovic; Stefan Zeuzem; Dominik Faust Journal: Clin Exp Med Date: 2009-03-19 Impact factor: 3.984
Authors: Jason M Zimmerer; Phillip H Horne; Lori A Fiessinger; Mason G Fisher; Thomas A Pham; Samiya L Saklayen; Ginny L Bumgardner Journal: Transplantation Date: 2012-12-15 Impact factor: 4.939
Authors: Manuel Rodríguez-Perálvarez; Marta Guerrero-Misas; Douglas Thorburn; Brian R Davidson; Emmanuel Tsochatzis; Kurinchi Selvan Gurusamy Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2017-03-31