Multivisceral transplantation in pigs: a clinicopathological analysis of tissue rejection

In this study, we established the surgical procedure and postoperative care of multivisceral transplantation (MVTX) in pigs, and examined the functional changes and rejection pattern of transplanted organs in MVTX. Twenty-two MVTXs were performed without immunosuppression, and nine cases (41%) that survived for 5 days or more after MVTX were used for evaluation. Rejection in grafts including the liver, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract were assessed histopathologically. On day 5 after transplantation, the duodenum and small bowel already showed signs of mild rejection. On the other hand, in the liver, pancreas and stomach, rejection occurred later and was still mild on day 16. Hepatic rejection in MVTX appeared to occur later than in simple liver transplantation (LTX). These results showed that the susceptibility to rejection of individual visceral organs varies.