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Immunohistochemical Study of HLA‐G Expression in Lung Transplant Recipients
Author(s) -
Brugière O,
Thabut G.,
Pretolani M.,
KrawiceRadanne I.,
Dill C.,
Herbreteau A.,
Poras I.,
Moreau P.,
Colombat M.,
Danel C.,
Dehoux M.,
Fournier M.,
Carosella E. D.,
RouasFreiss N.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
american journal of transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.89
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1600-6143
pISSN - 1600-6135
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2009.02650.x
Subject(s) - bronchiolitis obliterans , lung transplantation , human leukocyte antigen , immunohistochemistry , medicine , lung , hla g , immunology , immune system , transplantation , antigen , organ transplantation , pathology
Human leukocyte antigen‐G (HLA‐G), a nonclassical HLA class I protein, promotes immune tolerance of solid‐organ allografts, yet its role in lung transplantation (LTx) is unknown. We examined the expression of HLA‐G in lung allografts through immunohistochemistry by a cross‐sectional study of 64 LTx recipients, classified into four groups (stable patients, acute rejection [AR], bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome [BOS] and symptomatic viral shedders). A marked expression of HLA‐G in bronchial epithelial cells (BEC) was frequently observed in stable recipients (n = 18/35 [51%]), but not in patients with AR (n = 14) or with BOS (n = 8). HLA‐G was also expressed by 4 of 7 symptomatic viral shedders. In addition, HLA‐G‐positive patients from the stable group (n = 35) experienced lower incidence of resistant AR and/or BOS during long‐term follow‐up, as compared with their HLA‐G‐negative counterparts. Finally, in vitro data showed that interferon‐γ, a cytokine present in lung allograft microenvironment, upregulated HLA‐G mRNA and protein expression in primary cultured human BEC. We conclude that HLA‐G expression in the bronchial epithelium of lung allograft is elevated in some LTx recipients in association with their functional stability, suggesting a potential role of HLA‐G as a tolerance marker.