Chronic Transplantation Rejection

Abstract

Transplant rejection can be classified as hyperacute, acute, or chronic. Hyperacute rejection is usually caused by specific antibodies against the graft and occurs within minutes or hours after grafting. Acute rejection occurs days or weeks after transplantation and can be caused by specific lymphocytes in the recipient that recognize HLA antigens in the tissue or organ grafted. Finally, chronic rejection usually occurs months or years after organ or tissue transplantation. Various mechanisms involving chronic inflammation, humoral, and cellular immune reactions play an essential role in the immunopathogenesis of chronic rejection.