BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation is often the ultimate option of therapy for chronically hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected patients. Prevention of reinfection is therapy intensive and cost-effective. Adoptive transfer of HBV-specific immunity with the liver from an immune living liver donor (LLD) could be a new approach to prevent reinfection. METHODS: Forty-six potential LLDs were vaccinated against HBV. Humoral (antibodies to hepatitis B virus surface antigen [anti-HBs]-titer) and cellular (IFN-gamma-ELISpot and proliferation-assay) immune responses were examined in donors after immunization and in recipients before and after transplantation. RESULTS: Anti-HBs-titers of up to 50,000 IU/L were detected in LLDs. Fourteen recipients received livers from these donors. We detected humoral immunity in one HBV-naïve recipient and in one chronically HBV-infected recipient after transplantation. A transfer of cellular immunity (SI>3) was seen in three recipients. These patients received livers from donors with high anti-HBs-titers of more than 9000 IU/L. Cellular immunity was also detected in the corresponding donors (SI >3 and spots >22). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that HBV-specific humoral and cellular immunity can be transferred by liver transplantation after vaccination of the donors. The transfer of B-cell and T-cell immunity correlates with the magnitude of immune responses in the donor.
BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation is often the ultimate option of therapy for chronically hepatitis B virus (HBV) infectedpatients. Prevention of reinfection is therapy intensive and cost-effective. Adoptive transfer of HBV-specific immunity with the liver from an immune living liver donor (LLD) could be a new approach to prevent reinfection. METHODS: Forty-six potential LLDs were vaccinated against HBV. Humoral (antibodies to hepatitis B virus surface antigen [anti-HBs]-titer) and cellular (IFN-gamma-ELISpot and proliferation-assay) immune responses were examined in donors after immunization and in recipients before and after transplantation. RESULTS: Anti-HBs-titers of up to 50,000 IU/L were detected in LLDs. Fourteen recipients received livers from these donors. We detected humoral immunity in one HBV-naïve recipient and in one chronically HBV-infected recipient after transplantation. A transfer of cellular immunity (SI>3) was seen in three recipients. These patients received livers from donors with high anti-HBs-titers of more than 9000 IU/L. Cellular immunity was also detected in the corresponding donors (SI >3 and spots >22). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that HBV-specific humoral and cellular immunity can be transferred by liver transplantation after vaccination of the donors. The transfer of B-cell and T-cell immunity correlates with the magnitude of immune responses in the donor.
Authors: M Lindemann; M Koldehoff; M Fiedler; A Schumann; H D Ottinger; F M Heinemann; M Roggendorf; P A Horn; D W Beelen Journal: Bone Marrow Transplant Date: 2015-10-26 Impact factor: 5.483