OBJECTIVETo study the substitute portal vein by irradiated allograft saphenous vein during liver transplantation and investigate the changes in morphology and immunology.

METHODSAll the recipients were divided into 3 groups randomly:irradiated allograft group (n = 11) (group A), fresh allograft group (n = 9) (group B) and fresh self-graft group (n = 14) (group C). The number of non-jam graft vessels in each group was explored at 1st week, 2nd week, 1st month, 2nd month and 3rd month post-operation. Also, the infiltration of CD(4)(+), CD(8)(+) T cells and histological changes in grafted vessels were detected.

RESULTSNo obvious histological changes were observed in group A, as well as under naked eyes. There were 9, 3 and 12 non-jam vessels in group A, B and C and there were significant differences between group A and B (P < 0.05). The endothelial cells of graft vessels were observed both in group A and C two weeks post-operation and covered the graft vessels two months later. There were infiltration of lymphocytes and inflammatory cells at early stage, obvious damage and no endothelial cells growth in graft vessels in group B. Compared with group B, the percentage of CD(4)(+), CD(8)(+) T cells in group A was lower significantly, but higher slightly than that in group C.

CONCLUSIONSIrradiated allograft saphenous veins have the quality of ideal vascular transplantation prosthesis and weak antigenicity at the same time. The changes of CD(4)(+), CD(8)(+) T cells after allograft vessels can be detected as immunology index for acute immunological rejection.