Diagnosis and treatment of acute humoral rejection after liver transplantation: report of 2 cases

Abstract

Objective To analysis and summarize the diagnosis and treatment of acute humoral rejection after liver transplantation.Method The clinical data of 2 patients with humoral rejection after liver transplantation were analyzed.One patient with severe hepatitis B underwent ABO-incompatible liver transplantation and the donor blood type was AB and recipient blood type was A.Another patient with autoimmune liver disease was subjected to liver transplantation with the same blood type.Result Two patients were given tacrolimus,mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone immune suppression scheme.Anti-human lymphocyte immune globulin was used in case 1 for induction therapy.Both cases recovered well after liver transplantation in one week evaluated by the transplanted liver function,but liver function deteriorated from 7 days after transplantation.Titer of anti blood type B antibody was increased in case 1,and biopsy of transplantation liver confirmed acute humoral rejection.Plasma exchange,bortezomib plus intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) were used for therapy for acute humoral rejection,and acute humoral rejection in case 1 was reversed after treatment and graft function recovered gradually.However,the graft function was not improved after treatment in case 2,and liver graft biopsy showed no acute cellular rejection signs.Only few liver cells necrosis and cholangiole cholestasis were seen.The levels of HLA Ⅰ and Ⅱ class antibody were 3.4％ and 95.9％ respectively.We suspected acute humoral rejection in case 2.Plasma exchange,bortezomib plus IVIG were given,but liver graft function was not improved after treatment,and liver re-transplantation was done 2 months after first liver transplantation.Acute humoral rejection diagnosed pathologically.Conclusion We should alert the occurrence of acute humoral rejection in ABO-incompatible liver transplantation,and the patients with autoimmune liver disease due to the disorder of immune function after liver transplantation.Liver graft biopsy,and detection of the levels of panel reactive antibodies will help to diagnose the acute humoral rejection.The treatment should seize the opportunity and combine a variety of approaches.Liver re-transplantation is performed once the rejection can not be reversed Key words: Liver transplantation; Acute rejection,humoral