Skip to main content

Pathology of Antibody-Mediated Rejection

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Pathology of Cardiac Transplantation

Abstract

Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is now recognized as an important clinical complication of pediatric and adult cardiac transplantation. In addition to causing graft dysfunction, it has been associated with the accelerated development of transplant vasculopathy and graft loss. It can occur early after transplantation, especially in presensitized patients, but late-onset antibody-mediated rejection is now encountered more frequently. It is characterized by microvascular injury centered on the myocardial interstitial capillaries. The diagnosis is currently based on histopathologic and immunophenotypic criteria without reference to clinical status or presence of circulating donor-specific antibodies. The current International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation grading scheme incorporates the constellation of histopathologic and immunopathologic findings and is now widely utilized for the diagnosis and reporting of AMR.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Berry GJ, et al. The ISHLT working formulation for pathologic diagnosis of antibody-mediated rejection in heart transplantation: evolution and current status(2005-2011). J Heart Lung Transplant. 2011;30(6):601–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berry GJ, et al. The 2013 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Working Formulation for the standardization of nomenclature in the pathologic diagnosis of antibody-mediated rejection in heart transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2013;32(12):1147–62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Billingham ME, et al. A working formulation for the standardization of nomenclature in the diagnosis of heart and lung rejection: Heart Rejection Study Group. The International Society for Heart Transplantation. J Heart Transplant. 1990;9(6):587–93.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burke M, et al. C4d methodology and interpretation in diagnosis of cardiac antibody-mediated rejection: a European survey from the Association for European Cardiovascular Pathology (ARCVP). J Heart Lung Transplant. 2010;29:S37–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Casarez TW, et al. Humoral rejection in pediatric orthotopic heart transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2007;26:114–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen CK, et al. Development and impact of de novo anti-HLA antibodies in pediatric heart transplant recipients. Am J Transplant. 2015;20:1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costanzo-Nordin MR, et al. Role of humoral immunity in acute cardiac allograft dysfunction. J Heart Lung Transplant. 1993;12(2):S143–6.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coutance G, et al. Late antibody-mediated rejection after heart transplantation: mortality, graft function, and fulminant cardiac allograft vasculopathy. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2015;34(8):1050–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duong Van Huyen J-P, et al. MicroRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers of heart transplant rejection. Eur Heart J. 2014;35:3194–202.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Everitt MD, et al. Biopsy-diagnosed antibody-mediated rejection based on the proposed International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation working formulation is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes after pediatric heart transplant. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2012;31:686–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fedrigo M, et al. Intravascular macrophages in cardiac allograft biopsies for diagnosis of early and late antibody mediated rejection. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2013;32(4):404–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fedrigo M, et al. Inflammatory cell burden and phenotype in endomyocardial biopsies with antibody-mediated rejection (AMR): a multicenter pilot study from the AECVP. Am J Transplant. 2015;15:526–34.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hammond EH, et al. Vascular (humoral) rejection in heart transplantation: pathologic observations and clinical implications. J Heart Transplant. 1989;8(6):430–43.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hammond EH, et al. Vascular rejection and its relationship to allograft coronary artery disease. J Heart Lung Transplant. 1992;11:S111–9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hammond ME, et al. Utility of histologic parameters in screening for antibody-mediated rejection of the cardiac allograft: a study of 3,170 biopsies. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2005;24(12):2015–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holt DB, et al. Complement fragment C4d and C3d deposition in pediatric heart recipients with a positive crossmatch. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2008;27:1073–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kemnitz J, et al. Hyperacute rejection in heart allografts. Case studies. Pathol Res Pract. 1991;187(1):23–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kfoury AG, et al. Cardiovascular mortality among heart transplant recipients with asymptomatic antibody-mediated or stable mixed cellular and antibody-mediated rejection. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2009;28:781–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Knecht KR, et al. Antibody-mediated rejection is associated with impaired graft function in pediatric heart transplant recipients. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2015;34(8):1120–1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kobashigawa J, et al. Report from a consensus conference on antibody-mediated rejection in heart transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2011;30(3):252–69.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kucirka LM, et al. Survey of North American pathologist practices regarding antibody-mediated rejection in cardiac transplant biopsies. Cardiovasc Pathol. 2011;20(3):132–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li F, et al. Phosphorylated S6 kinase and S6 ribosomal protein are diagnostic markers of antibody-mediated rejection in heart allografts. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2015;34:580–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lones MA, et al. Clinical-pathologic features of humoral rejection in cardiac allografts: a study in 81 consecutive patients. J Heart Lung Transplant. 1995;14:151–62.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loupy A, et al. Molecular microscope strategy to improve risk stratification in early antibody-mediated kidney allograft rejection. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2014;25:2267–77.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Miller DV, et al. Detection of C4d deposition in cardiac allografts: a comparative study of immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase methods. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2010;134:1679–84.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moseley EL, Atkinson C, Sharples LD, Wallwork J, Goddard MJ. Deposition of C4d and C3d in cardiac transplants: a factor in the development of coronary artery vasculopathy. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2010;29(4):417–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Peng DM, et al. Donor-specific antibodies: can they predict C4d deposition in pediatric heart recipients? Pediatr Transplant. 2013;17:429–35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ratliff NB, et al. Activation of intravascular macrophages within myocardial small vessels is a feature of acute vascular rejection in human heart transplants. J Heart Lung Transplant. 1995;14:338–45.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reed EF, et al. Acute antibody-mediated rejection of cardiac transplants. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2006;25:153–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez ER, et al. Antibody-mediated rejection in human cardiac allografts: evaluation of immunoglobulins and complement activation products C4d and C3d as markers. Am J Transplant. 2005;5:2778–85.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart S, et al. Revision of the 1990 working formulation for the standardization of nomenclature in the diagnosis of heart rejection. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2005;24:1710–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tan CD, et al. Correlation of donor-specific antibodies, complement and its regulators with graft dysfunction in cardiac antibody-mediated rejection. Am J Transplant. 2009;9:2075–84.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tavora F, et al. Endothelitis in cardiac allograft biopsy specimens: possible relationship to antibody-mediated rejection. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2011;30:435–44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tible M, et al. Pathologic classification of antibody-mediated rejection correlates with donor-specific antibodies and endothelial cell activation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2013;32:769–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xu Y, et al. Utility of C4d immunostaining in the first year after pediatric and young adult heart transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2013;32:92–7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Yerly P, et al. Time-dependent specificity of immunopathologic (C4d-CD68) and histologic criteria of antibody-mediated rejection for donor-specific antibodies and allograft dysfunction in heart transplantation. Transplantation. 2015;99:586–93.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zinn MD, et al. Bortezomib use in a pediatric cardiac transplant center. Pediatr Transplant. 2014;18:469–76.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Claire Toquet MD, PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Rotman, S., Miller, D.V., Toquet, C., Berry, G.J. (2016). Pathology of Antibody-Mediated Rejection. In: Leone, O., Angelini, A., Bruneval, P., Potena, L. (eds) The Pathology of Cardiac Transplantation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46386-5_14

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46386-5_14

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-46384-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-46386-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics