Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
Trans-vivo Delayed Type Hypersensitivity Assay for Antigen Specific Regulation
Published on: May 2, 2013
Lack of association between CTLA-4 and PDCD1 polymorphisms and acute rejection in German liver transplant recipients
Hansjörg Thude1, Anna Dorothea Schipler, Andras Treszl
1University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Hepatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. h.thude@uke.de
Abstract:
Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell-death 1 (PDCD1) are two genes encoding coinhibitory immunoreceptors that are involved in regulation transplant rejection and tolerance induction. Thus, CTLA-4 and PDCD1 may be good candidate genes to evaluate in liver transplant rejection. In this retrospective study, we investigated whether four functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the CTLA-4 gene and PDCD1 gene were associated with susceptibility to liver transplant rejection. The SNPs -1772T>C (rs733618), -1661A>G (rs4553808) of the CTLA-4 gene, and the SNPs 7146G>A (rs11568821), 7209C>T (rs41386349) of the PDCD1 gene were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction allele specific restriction enzyme analysis (PCR-ASRA) in 100 liver recipients with acute rejection, 104 liver transplant recipients without acute rejection and 100 healthy control individuals. For the selected SNPs we did not detect any significant difference in genotypic and allelic frequencies between liver transplant recipients with and without acute rejection. In conclusion, our results suggest that the tested SNPs may not be associated with susceptibility to acute liver transplant rejection in a Caucasian population.
Insights
Genetic variations in CTLA-4 and PDCD1 genes were not linked to liver transplant rejection risk in Caucasians. This study found no significant association between specific SNPs and acute rejection susceptibility.
Area of Science:
- Immunogenetics
- Transplantation immunology
Background:
- Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell-death 1 (PDCD1) are key coinhibitory receptors regulating immune responses.
- These genes play roles in transplant rejection and tolerance, making them potential targets for investigation in liver transplantation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CTLA-4 and PDCD1 genes and the susceptibility to acute liver transplant rejection.
- To evaluate specific SNPs: CTLA-4 (-1772T>C, -1661A>G) and PDCD1 (7146G>A, 7209C>T).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study involving 100 liver transplant recipients with acute rejection, 104 without acute rejection, and 100 healthy controls.
- Genotyping of four selected SNPs using polymerase chain reaction allele specific restriction enzyme analysis (PCR-ASRA).
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in the genotypic or allelic frequencies of the studied SNPs between liver transplant recipients with and without acute rejection.
- The tested single nucleotide polymorphisms in CTLA-4 and PDCD1 genes did not show an association with acute liver transplant rejection.
Conclusions:
- The investigated functional SNPs of CTLA-4 and PDCD1 genes are unlikely to be associated with the susceptibility to acute liver transplant rejection in the studied Caucasian population.
- Further research may be needed to explore other genetic factors or different populations for associations with liver transplant rejection.
