Lymphatic Neoangiogenesis in Human Kidney Transplants Is Associated with Immunologically Active Lymphocytic Infiltrates

D. Kerjaschki
2004 Journal of the American Society of Nephrology  
Renal transplant rejection is caused by a lymphocyterich inflammatory infiltrate that attacks cortical tubules and endothelial cells. Immunosuppressive therapy reduces the number of infiltrating cells; however, their exit routes are not known. Here a Ͼ50-fold increase of lymphatic vessel density over normal kidneys in grafts with nodular mononuclear infiltrates is demonstrated by immunohistochemistry on human renal transplant biopsie susing antibodies to the lymphatic endothelial marker protein
more » ... podoplanin. Nodular infiltrates are constantly associated with newly formed, Ki-67-expressing lymphatic vessels and contain the entire repertoire of T and B lymphocytes to provide specific cellular and humoral alloan-
doi:10.1097/01.asn.0000113316.52371.2e pmid:14978162 fatcat:slsiefh4vrg7ll6j7zsv5ethpi