RESUMEN
PURPOSE: We performed this study to evaluate the value as early markers predicting the acute rejection and differential diagnosis with other causes of renal dysfunction. METHODS: Immunohistochemical stains for HLA-DR, ICAM-1, IL-2 and IL-4 were performed on 44 cases of implantation biopsies which were divided into cases with acute rejection (R group, 14 cases) and cases without rejection episode (N group, 30 cases), and 45 gun biopsies for renal dysfunction which divided into cases diagnosed as rejection (A group, 28 cases) and cases diagnosed as other causes rather than rejection (B group, 17 cases). We analysed immunohistochemical results, various clinical datas such as age and sex of donor, living or cadaveric status of donor, the mean number of HLA-DR mismatch, age and sex of patient, serum creatinine level at post op 2 day for implantation biopsy and at the day on biopsy for renal dysfunction between above groups. RESULTS: 1) In 44 cases of implantation biopsies, positive immunohistochemical stains for HLA-DR were more frequent in R goup (71.43%) than in N group (26.66%). There was no significant difference of clinical datas and immunohistochemical stains for ICAM-1, IL-2 and IL-4. 2) In 45 cases of gun biopsies for renal dysfunction, immunohistochemical stains for HLA-DR were all positive in A group (100%) with higher rate of 3 stains (39.28%) than B group (positive; 70.58%, 3 ; 5.88%). Immunohistochmical stains for ICAM-1 were more frequently expressed in A group (100%) than B group (76.47%). Both stains revealed no significant difference according to the grades of rejection, disease other than rejection. There was no significant diffrence of immunohistochemical stains for IL-2 and IL-4, and clinical datas between two groups. CONCLUSION: We can conclude that the immunohistochemical stains for HLA-DR on implantation biopsies may predict the devepoment of the acute rejection and the immunohistochemical stains for HLA-DR and ICAM-1 on gun biopsies at the time of renal dysfunction may differentiate the reje.