Chemokines and Transplant Vasculopathy

Abstract

Transplant vasculopathy (TV) remains the leading cause of late death among heart transplant recipients. Transplant vasculopathy is characterized by progressive neointimal proliferation, leading to ischemic failure of the allograft. Multiple experimental and clinical studies have shown that injury to the graft at various stages of transplantation can be a risk factor for development of transplant vasculopathy. The hallmark of cardiac allograft injury is the infiltration of leukocytes. Recruitment of leukocytes requires intercellular communication between infiltrating cells, endothelium, parenchymal cells, and components of extracellular matrix. These events are mediated via the generation of adhesion molecules, cytokines, and chemokines. The chemokines, by virtue of their specific cell receptor expression, can selectively mediate the local recruitment/activation of distinct leukocytes/cells, allowing for migration across the endothelium and beyond the vascular compartment. This report provides a comprehensive review of the chemokines that participate in the development of transplant vasculopathy.