OBJECTIVETo investigate the pathologic monitoring of intestinal graft rejection in auxiliary en-bloc liver-small bowel transplantation in pigs.

METHODSFifty outbred long-white pigs were randomized into three groups, and the auxiliary composite liver-small bowel allotransplantations were undertaken in 10 pigs in group A and group B while segment small bowel allotransplantations were undertaken in 10 pigs in group C. Group A and C were not treated with immunosuppressive drugs while group B was treated with cyclosporine A and methylprednisolone. The postoperative intestinal graft rejections were monitored by biopsy through the jejunostomy or ileuostomy on 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21 and 30 days after operation. Through routine management, the specimens were directly examined via optical and electronic microscope respectively.

RESULTSAs shown from pathological data, the median initial time of postoperative rejection in group A was 8 days (ranged from 7 to 12), later than that in group C (5 days:ranged from 3 to 5), P<0.05). On the 7th day postoperatively, the rejection scores in group A was 1.11+/-0.20, lower than that in group C(2.56+/-0.18, P<0.05), but higher than that in group B(0.20+/-0.13, P<0.05). Ultrastructure also showed more severe intestinal graft rejection in intestinal transplantation than that in combined transplantation. The median survival time was 9 days(ranged from 7 to 25) in group A and 12 days(ranged from 7 to 20) in group C, while all the pigs in group B lived longer than 30 days.

CONCLUSIONThe pathological assessment through the jejunostomy or ileuostomy biopsy is a convenient method to monitor the postoperative graft rejections in intestinal related transplantation.