Antibodies against apoptotic cells present in end-stage lung disease patients do not correlate with clinical outcome after lung transplantation

K. Budding, E.A. van de Graaf, T. Kardol-Hoefnagel, E.J.D. Oudijk, J.M. Kwakkel-van Erp, C.E. Hack, H.G. Otten

Chair(s): Prof. dr. F.J. Bemelman & prof. dr. R. Goldschmeding

Thursday 9 march 2017

10:12 - 10:24h at Hendrik Marsmanzaal

Categories: Parallel - Basaal

Parallel session: Parallelsessie IX – Basaal 2 - Biomarkers gerelateerd aan rejectie na orgaantransplantatie

Antibodies against HLA and non-HLA are associated with transplantation outcome. Recently, pre-transplant serum IgG antibody levels against apoptotic cells were found to correlate with kidney allograft loss. We investigated the presence of these antibodies in lung transplantation (LTx) patients and evaluated the correlation of pre-LTx serum levels of IgG antibodies against apoptotic cells with LTx outcome. These cells included donor lung endothelial cells (EC) obtained from lung perfusion fluid collected during LTx procedure. Cells were isolated, expanded in vitro, and analyzed as targets for anti-apoptotic cell reactivity. Cultured cells exhibited EC morphology and were CD31+, CD13+ and vWF+ . End-stage lung disease patients showed elevated serum IgG levels against apoptotic lung EC (p=0.0018) compared to healthy controls. Interestingly, levels between cell systems did not correlate, hinting at target cell-specificity. We observed no correlation between chronic or acute rejection and pre-LTx serum levels of anti-apoptotic antibodies. Also, these levels did not differ between matched patients developing chronic rejection or not during follow-up or at the time of diagnosis, as they remained as high as prior to transplantation. Thus, circulating levels of anti-apoptotic cell antibodies are elevated in end-stage lung disease patients but our data do not correlate with outcome after LTx.