Allograft Immune Reaction of Kidney Transplantation: Part 1. Mechanism of Allograft Rejection

ABSTRACT

Kidney allograft transplantation is the most effective method of renal replacement for end stage renal disease patients. Still, it is another kind of 'disease', requiring immunosuppression to keep the allograft from rejection(allograft immune reaction). Immune system of the allograft recipient recognizes the graft as a 'pathogen(foreign or danger)', and the allograft-recognizing commander- in-chief of adaptive immune system, T cell, recruits all the components of immune system for attacking the graft. Proper activation and proliferation of T cell require signals from recognizing proper epitope(processed antigen by antigen presenting cell) via T cell receptor, costimulatory stimuli, and cytokines(IL-2). Thus, most of the immunosuppressive agents suppress the process of T cell activation and proliferation.