• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.152-160
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• 2007

Twenty-six renal allograft biopsies which showed acute rejection and had renal capsule and medulla in the same specimen were selected in order to compare the severity of acute rejection between superficial cortex, deep cortex and medulla. Disregarding the mid cortical region, the superficial cortex was considered as being one-third of the distance from the renal capsule to the medulla and the deep cortex as being that one-third of the cortex which was adjacent to the medulla. Using semiquantitative histologic analysis the following parameters were compared in superficial cortex, deep cortex, and medulla: interstitial inflammation, edema, tubulitis, and acute tubulointerstitial rejection grade. Also, the presence of lymphocyte activation and polymorphonuclear leukocytes was evaluated. Significantly greater histologic changes of acute rejection were found in the deep cortex vs. supeficial cortex for the following parameters: interstitial inflammation(P=0.013), edema (P=0.023) and tubulointerstitial rejection grade(P=0.016). These findings support the view that biopsies in which deep cortex is not included may result in underestimation of the severity of renal allograft rejection.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.639-644
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• 2016

Discovery of non-invasive diagnostic and predictive biomarkers for acute rejection in liver transplant patients would help to ensure the preservation of liver function in the graft, eventually contributing to improved graft and patient survival. We evaluated selected cytokines and chemokines in the sera from liver transplant patients as potential biomarkers for acute rejection, and found that the combined detection of IL-10, IL-17, and CXCL10 at 1-2 weeks post-operation could predict acute rejection following adult liver transplantation with 97% specificity and 94% sensitivity.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.439-443
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• 2005

Rejection is one of the life-threatening complications after organ transplantation. An eight-month-old, intact male, mixed breed dog was presented with acute rejection after renal allograft. The heterotopic renal transplantation with bilateral nephrectomy was performed in the dog. The triple drug protocol for immunosuppression was applied for prevention of the acute rejection. Postoperative care was done according to the transplantation protocol of VMTH, Kangwon National University. The dog was euthanized when the serum creatinine concentration exceeded 5 mg/dL followed by tile signs of illness. The transplanted kidney was enlarged. The renal cortex lesions were characterized by necrosis of the renal tubules and the glomeruli. Interstitial lesions were characterized by hemorrhage and severe infiltration of lymphoid cells. Intrarenal arteries showed necrosis of the walls and infiltration of perivascular lymphoid cells. In immunohistochemical (IHC) findings, infiltration of the CD4 and the CD8 positive T lymphocytes was examined. In this case, acute rejection was shown by humoral and cellular immunity on the basis of histopathologic and IHC evaluation.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2011

To consider the iliac fossa as the vascular anastomosis site of kidney transplantation for the short-term study of acute rejection in pigs. Twelve domestic pigs weighing 39~48 kg underwent heterotopic renal allgraft transplantation. The experimental animals were divided into 2 groups in terms of renal vascular anastomosis site; the external iliac artery and vein were used in iliac fossa model (n = 6), the abdominal aorta and the caudal vena cava inferior to the kidney were used in abdominal cavity model (n = 6). Renal function was evaluated by daily measurement of plasma creatinine and BUN concentrations. The experiments' health including postoperative complications was also assessed daily for 8 days after transplantation. After euthanazation gross and histopathologic analysis was performed. All six pigs in iliac fossa model developed neuropraxia and lameness of the ipsilateral pelvic limb. However, no necrosis was observed in any pigs. In the abdominal cavity model, durations of both the surgical operation and the vascular anastomosis were significantly longer than those in the iliac fossa model. Furthermore, ischemia injury of the transplanted kidney was increased in abdominal cavity model, which induced accelerated-acute immune response from day 4 after transplantation. Despite of pelvic limb complication, the iliac fossa model showed more advantages including not only less ischemia time related to easy vascular anastomosis, but also less immune response during the acute rejection period. The results indicate that the iliac fossa model may be appropriate to the study of acute rejection in porcine kidney transplantation.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.49-58
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• 1982

Renal transplant uptake of $^{99m}Tc-tin$ colloid was evaluated in 26 patients. Seventy-seven examinations were performed comparing transplant with bone marrow activity, clinical and/or pathological diagnosis. There were 13 instances of acute rejection; 7 of these exhibited slight uptake of radiocolloid in the renal transplant, 1 had marked uptake, and 5 had no evidence of uptake. There were 7 instances of chronic rejection; 5 of which demonstrated marked transplant uptake of radiocolloid, 1 had slight uptake, and 1 had no evidence of uptake. There were 2 instances of acute tubular necrosis and 55 instances of normal transplant function, but none of these exhibited transplant uptake of radiocolloid. From the result, the uptake of $^{99m}Tc-tin$ colloid by renal transplant appears to signal rejection as long. as the vascular supply is not severely compromised. Acute rejection may be represented by slight radiocolloid uptake, and chronic rejection by marked uptake when compared to bone marrow activity.

• Korean Journal of Transplantation
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.75-83
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• 2018

Background: This study was designed to analyze the clinical usefulness of mycophenolic acid trough concentration monitoring in kidney transplantation patients who were maintained with cyclosporine. Methods: The data of patients who underwent mycophenolic acid trough concentration monitoring after their first kidney transplant between November 2006 and August 2013 and were prescribed with cyclosporine, mycophenolate, and methylprednisolone were reviewed retrospectively. Cox analysis was used to analyze the risk factors for acute rejection within 1 year post-transplantation. Results: Among 90 patients, 41 (45.6%) achieved both the target levels of cyclosporine and mycophenolic acid, while three patients (3.3%) failed to achieve the target level of either cyclosporine or mycophenolic acid. Nine patients (10.0%) only achieved the mycophenolic acid target level and 37 patients (41.1%) only achieved the cyclosporine target level. While patients who achieved only the mycophenolic acid target concentration had no statistically increased risk compared to patients who achieved both target levels (hazard ratio [HR], 1.569; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.316 to 7.778; P=0.581), patients who only achieved the cyclosporine target concentration showed an increased risk of rejection compared to the both achievement group (HR, 4.112; 95% CI, 1.583 to 10.683; P=0.004). Patients who had no achievement in the target levels showed significantly increased rejection risk compared to the patients who achieved both target levels (HR, 17.811; 95% CI, 3.072 to 103.28; P=0.001). Conclusions: Mycophenolic acid trough concentration monitoring combined with cyclosporine trough concentration monitoring is useful for avoiding acute cellular rejection if the first 1 year post-transplantation.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 1986

From 1979 to 1984, 39 local allograft irradiations were given to 29 patients: 10 irradiations were administered for prevention and 29 for reversal of acute rejection of transplanted kidney. Three doses of 150 cGy every other day were combined with high-dose of methylprednisolone pulse (1 gm/day) for 3 days. For prevention of acute rejection, local irradiation was delivered on the days 1, 3, and 5 after the transplantation, and for reversal, irradiation started after the diagnosis of acute rejection. Eight out of 10 patients irradiated for prevention had acute allograft rejection, and, what is more, there was no surviving graft at 15 months after transplantation. Reversal of acute rejection was achieved in $71\%$. When the pre-irradiation level of serum creatinine was below $5.5mg\%$, the reversal rate was $93\%$, but above $5.5mg\%$ the reversal rate was only $17\%$ (p<0.01). Reirradiation after failure was not successful. Among 15 reversed patients, $7(47\%)$ had subsequent rejection (s). The functional graft survivals at 6 month, 1, 2, and 3 year were $70\%,\;65\%,\; 54\%,\;and\;54\%$, respectively. Therapeutic irradiation resulted in better graft survival when serum creatinine was below $5.5mg\%$ (p<0.001) or when irradiation started within 15 days after the diagnosis of acute rejection (p<0.001).

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2003

Cyclosporine (CsA) has become well established as a potent immunosuppressive agent in the renal transplantation. However, therapy is complicated by large intraindividual and interindividual variability in pharmacokinetics of CsA and frequent undesirable clinical outcomes such as graft rejection and nephrotoxicity. The objective of this study was to determine the CsA trough blood concentrations that were associated with acute graft rejection and renal toxicity in renal transplant patients. Also, the ability of the current recommendation of therapeutic range for CsA to prevent graft rejections and CsA-associated renal toxicity was assessed. The clinical courses of the patients on CsA as an immusuppressive agent for preventing the graft rejection with renal ransplantation performed at Seoul National University Hospital from January 1995 to September 1998 were retrospectively reviewed. Total of 78 patients were included and three of them were retransplantation cases. Twenty-two acute episodes of rejection were identified, but only 16 episodes were clinically significant. Of these all the episodes occurred during the first month after transplantation except one. Mean daily doses of CsA were $427.2\pm72.1,\;352.6\pm56.8,\;308.62\pm48.3\;and\;268.47.1\;mg$ at posttransplant 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Mean CsA whole blood though levels were $259.8\pm36.2,\;238.5\pm39,\;200.8\pm45.8\;and\;161.9\pm25.8\;ng/ml$ at posttransplant 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. Mean daily doses/weight were $7.9\pm1,\;6.4\pm1,\;5.3\pm0.7\;and\;4.6\pm0.7\;mg/kg$ at posttransplant 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. CsA doses decreased significantly as months progressed (p<0.001). During the first month after transplantation, only $12.5\%$ of the patients in rejection group had CsA concentration in therapeutic range, and 87.5, 93.8, and $100\%$ were within the therapeutic range at posttransplant 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. These results suggested that CsA concentrations of $250\sim300\;ng/ml$ might be appropriate for preventing the acute rejection during the first posttransplant month.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.49-59
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• 2021

Since the initial International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation registry was published in 1982, the number of pediatric heart transplantations has increased markedly, reaching a steady state of 500-550 transplantation annually and occupying up to 10% of total heart transplantations. Heart transplantation is considered an established therapeutic option for patients with end-stage heart disease. The long-term outcomes of pediatric heart transplantations were comparable to those of adults. Issues affecting long-term outcomes include acute cellular rejection, antibody-mediated rejection, cardiac allograft vasculopathy, infection, prolonged renal dysfunction, and malignancies such as posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder. This article focuses on medical issues before pediatric heart transplantation, according to the Korean Network of Organ Sharing registry and as well as major problems such as graft rejection and cardiac allograft vasculopathy. To reduce graft failure rate and improve long-term outcomes, meticulous monitoring for rejection and medication compliance are also important, especially in adolescents.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.311-323
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• 2023

Immunosuppressants are vital in organ transplantation including facial transplantation (FT) but are associated with persistent side effects. This review article was prepared to compare the two most used immunosuppressants, cyclosporine and tacrolimus, in terms of mechanism of action, efficacy, and safety and to assess recent trials to mitigate their side effects. PubMed and Google Scholar queries were conducted using combinations of the following search terms: "transplantation immunosuppressant," "cyclosporine," "tacrolimus," "calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)," "efficacy," "safety," "induction therapy," "maintenance therapy," and "conversion therapy." Both immunosuppressants inhibit calcineurin and effectively down-regulate cytokines. Tacrolimus may be more advantageous since it lowers the likelihood of acute rejection, has the ability to reverse allograft rejection following cyclosporine treatment, and has the potential to reinnervate nerves. Meanwhile, graft survival rates seem to be comparable for the CNIs. To avoid nephrotoxicity, various immunosuppressants other than CNIs have been studied. Despite averting nephrotoxicity, these medications show increases in acute rejection or other types of adverse effects compared to CNIs. FT has been a topic of interest for oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and the postoperative usage of immunosuppressants is crucial for the long-term prognosis of FT. As contemporary transplantation regimens incorporate novel medications along with CNIs, further research is required.