[Clinical significance of RANTES and MIP-1 alpha in acute rejection episode in kidney transplantation].

OBJECTIVE

To discuss the correlation between acute rejection episodes and expression of regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha) gene following kidney transplantation.

METHODS

A total of 76 kidney biopsies (episode biopsy) were performed on both 57 patients with allograft dysfunction following transplantation and 19 patients without rejection, and the latter were served as controls. All acute rejections were confirmed by histological examination. The expressions of RANTES and MIP-1 alpha mRNA in all samples were assayed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight (66.7%) of 57 cases with acute rejection had strong expression of RANTES, and 41 (72%) had expression of MIP-1 alpha. Only four (21%) of 19 controls had mild expression of RANTES, and 5 (26%) had expression of MIP-1 alpha, which evoked a statistical significance (P < 0.001) when compared with those with acute rejections.

CONCLUSIONS

The expressions of chemokines RANTES and MIP-1 alpha are important in the process of immune reaction in the rejection of transplanted kidney, which may imply a potential way for early diagnosis and treatment of acute rejection after further research.