Changes In Serum TNF-α Levels Following Orthotopic Liver Transplantation In Rats And Its Role In The Early Diagnosis Of Acute Rejection

Objective: To investigate the role of TNF- a in rat hepatic allograft recipients during rejection by measuring its levels in serum on the postoperative o, 1, 3, 5, 7 days.Methods: The serum concentration of TNF- a was deteraiinded by ELASA(rat tumor necrosis factor alpha ELASA Kit),and the grafted liver and thymus were pathologically studied simutaneously.Results: (1)The serum TNF-a concentrations in untreated hepatic allograft recipients increased over 7 days in an approximately linear manner.In DST-treated allografts and isografts,however, TNF- a levels increased only marginally,peaking on day 7,and afterwords decreased gradually.(2)The classic appearance of acute rejection in the untreated hepatic allograft,namely,hepatocellular necrosis,portal inflammatory infiltrate,central vein endothelialitis and bile duct damage, was observed on the postoperative 12 days, and only slight bile duct epithelium regeneration was seen in the DST-treated allograft and isograft.(3) Thymocytes in both medulla and cortex in the ulttreated hepatic allograft were sparse during acute rejection,in contrast,no significant thymic involution was observed in the DST-treated allograft and isograft.Conclusions: Our findings suggested that TNF- a play an important role in the pathogenesis of acute allograt rejection, and that the postoperative sequential mesurement of its levels may be of value in the prediction and diagnosis of acute rejection.