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Increased CD40 ligand gene expression during human renal and murine islet allograft rejection
X X Zheng1, A D Schachter, L Vasconcellos
1Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
Background:
The interaction between CD40 and its ligand CD40L is essential for the development and maintenance of vigorous immunity. We have sought to determine: (i) whether a heightened level of CD40L transcripts is evident during acute allograft rejection and (ii) the kinetics of CD40L gene expression during allograft rejection.
Methods:
By using quantitative reverse transcriptase-assisted polymerase chain reaction techniques, we found that heightened CD40L gene expression is a correlate of acute human renal allograft rejection (P<0.01).
Results:
In a murine model of MHC-mismatched islet allografts, our results showed that CD40L transcripts were rarely detected at day 2 after transplantation, but were remarkably heightened at day 5 after transplantation. The transcript levels then steadily increased and peaked at the time of rejection.
Conclusion:
These data suggest that therapy aimed at blocking the CD40 to CD40L interaction should be applied during the immediate posttransplant period.