Roles of vascular endothelial growth factor in acute rejection reaction following liver transplantation

The presently known cytokines that participate in acute rejection of organ transplantation include four categories by order of function: inflammatory cytokines, immunospecific cytokines, inflammatory cell activating cytokines and growth cytokines. Of them, growth cytokines that directly induce division, proliferation and migration of endothelial cells mainly include the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family and the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family [1]. Recent studies [2] showed that interactions and time overlap of inflammatory cell infiltration and angiogenesis are the main mechanisms that induce acute rejection (AR) following organ transplantation, which has been demonstrated by the clinical fact that AR symptoms after liver transplantation could only be relieved by combination use of drugs for improving micro vessels and those for improving micro bile ducts. This article is a review of VEGF that mediates inflammatory cell infiltration and angiogenesis in the portal area [3].