No abstract available.
Liver Transplantation* ; Liver*

PURPOSE: Liver, unlike heart or skin, allografts transplanted between MHC-disparate mouse strains are spontaneously accepted without any immunosuppressive therapy. Despite the allograft acceptance, the recipients continue to exhibit donor-specific immune responses in vitro (MLR and generation of CTL). High levels of CTL apoptosis evident within tolerated liver grafts have been postulated as a mechanism underlying this 'split' tolerance. METHODS and RESULTS: By using radiometric DNA fragmentation test ("JAM" assay) and TUNEL staining, we present the evidence here that liver nonparenchymal cells (NPC) are quite strong inducers of activated T cell apoptotic death in allogeneic mice. This phenomenon occurs the similar level in activated T cells of syngeneic or third-party mice. Liver cells from gld (FasL-deficient) mice exert similar apoptosis-inducing effect on activated T cells from normal mice. Tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR): Fc fusion protein, and concanamycin A, an inhibitor of perforin pathway, fail to inhibit the apoptotic activity. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that liver NPC play important role in causing active apoptosis in graft-infiltratingCTL which favors liver graft acceptance, and liver-induced activated T cell apoptosis may not mediated by Fas, TNF or perforin pathways.
Allografts ; Animals ; Apoptosis* ; DNA Fragmentation ; Heart ; Immune Tolerance ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Liver* ; Mice ; Perforin ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor ; Skin ; T-Lymphocytes* ; Transplantation ; Transplants

OBJECTIVETo investigate best diagnosing methods and therapy for patients with biliary tract complications after liver transplantation and analyze related factors.

METHODSA review was made of data collected from 96 patients, and confirmed by retrospective case notes examination.

RESULTSA total of 94 patients (97 grafts) survived more than 2 days after transplantation; of whom, 92 had an end-to-end biliary anastomosis with a T tube. The average follow-up was 5.8 months (range: 0.3 - 10.2 months). Among the 94 patients, eight (8.5%, 8/94) had complications: leakage during T-tube removal (2 patients), leakage at an earlier stage (2), simultaneous stricture and leak (2) and just stricture (2). Six patients with biliary tract complications had predisposing factors including hepatic artery stenosis (2 patients, including one hepatic artery stenosis combined with severe rejection, hepatic artery thrombosis (3), and donor-recipient bile duct mismatch (1). There was no difference in cold ischemic time. With hepatic artery thrombosis and/or stenosis > 50%, five patients were re-transplanted; without hepatic artery thrombosis and/or stenosis < 50%, three patients required endoscopic stenting and radiological percutaneous drainage of bile collection with or without balloon dilation. All patients survived.

CONCLUSIONSBiliary strictures occur later than leaks after surgery. Without hepatic artery thrombosis and/or stricture, there is no need for surgery; with hepatic artery thrombosis and/or stricture > 50%, re-transplantation is needed as early as possible.

Adult ; Biliary Tract Diseases ; etiology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; etiology ; therapy ; Reoperation ; Retrospective Studies