Soluble HLA-G in Heart Transplantation: Their Relationship to Rejection Episodes and Immunosuppressive Therapy

• Published in: Human Immunology Vol. 67; no. 4; pp. 257 - 263
• Main Authors: Luque, J., Torres, M.I., Aumente, M.D., Marı́n, J., Garcı́a-Jurado, G., González, R., Pascual, D., Guerra, N., López-Rubio, F., Álvarez-López, M.R., Arizón, J.M., Peña, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2006
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; cyclosporine; Female; Graft Rejection - diagnosis; Graft Rejection - drug therapy; heart transplantation; Heart Transplantation - immunology; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I - blood; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I - immunology; HLA; HLA Antigens - blood; HLA Antigens - immunology; HLA-G Antigens; Humans; Immune Tolerance - immunology; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; immunosuppressive treatment; Middle Aged; sHLA-G; tolerance; Treatment Outcome; cyclosporine; sHLA-G; HLA; heart transplantation; immunosuppressive treatment; tolerance
• ISSN: 0198-8859; 1879-1166; 1365-2567
• DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2006.02.034

The aims of this study were to quantify the level of soluble HLA-G in heart transplant patients, to determine the relationship between the sHLA-G levels and the appearance of acute rejection episodes, and to identify the influence of immunosuppressive therapy on sHLA-G levels. Analysis of sHLA-G, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the transplant patients, revealed the existence of two similarly sized groups of patients. One group displayed a significant increase ( p < 0.001) in sHLA-G during the first month after transplantation while the other group maintained low levels of the molecule (0–30 ng/ml) throughout the study. The latter group displayed a high incidence of recurrent severe rejection. A significant increase ( p < 0.01) in sHLA-G 2 hours after administration of immunosuppressive treatment (mycophenolate mofetil, cyclosporine A/FK506, corticoids) was found. These results suggest that sHLA-G participates in the induction of certain levels of immunological tolerance in these recipients.