Pathologic characteristics of lymphangiogenesis in renal transplants and its clinical implication / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the pathologic characteristics of lymphangiogenesis in renal transplants and to analyze its clinical implication. Methods: The morphology and distribution of lymphangiogenesis were investigated by a biotin-streptavidin horseradish-peroxidase method with anti-podoplanin monoclonal antibody in 45 archival biopsies. The lymphatic vessel density (LVD) was calculated and the results were compared between different pathologic types and with the normal renal tissues. Results: Fewer podoplanin-positive lymphatic vessels were identified in the biopsies from the renal transplants with normal function, and the transplants had a similar morphological profile as normal renal tissues. More podoplanin-positive lymphatic vessels were observed in the transplants suffering acute rejection episode; the vessels mainly located around peripheral arteriole with different lumen sizes. Transplants with chronic rejection had the most podoplanin-positive lymphatic vessels with focal mononuclear infiltration and distended/ distorted lymphatic vessels. The lowest mean LVD (1.26±0.27) was observed in the biopsies from transplants with normal function, which was significantly different from those in the acute rejection and chronic rejection groups (P<0.05). The highest mean LVD was found in the chronic rejection group (20.76±5.30), which was significantly higher than those of the other 2 groups (P<0.01); no significant difference was observed between the transplants with normal function and the normal kidney. Conclusion: Lymphatic neoangiogenesis occurs in the renal transplant and its pathologic characteristics differs in the transplants with different rejection types.