Biological response modifiers in the small bowel allograft rejection

Immunological response is an interlinking network of stimuli and response signals. Rejection includes a complex series of events that depends on the interaction of many cells and soluble mediators--cytokines--and other biological response modifiers--among these, prostaglandins and hormones. In small bowel transplantation rejection, the role of "biological response modifiers" may be especially important because cytokines act on both "antigens presenting cells" from the recipient and "passenger lymphocytes" from the donor, in addition cytokines play a central role in the pathogenesis of clinical acute graft versus-host disease. Finally, perspective of new modalities of immunosuppression appear to be important in monitoring and controlling the cytokine release and function.