Expression of hemopexin in acute rejection of rat liver allograft identified by serum proteomic analysis

M Xu, C Tan, J Hu, SM Alwahsh, J Yan, J Hu, Z Dai… - Shock, 2014 - journals.lww.com
M Xu, C Tan, J Hu, SM Alwahsh, J Yan, J Hu, Z Dai, Z Wang, J Zhou, J Fan, X Huang
Shock, 2014journals.lww.com
Acute rejection (AR) and acceptance of allograft after liver transplantation (LTx) remain
critical issues that need addressing to improve prognosis. We therefore performed rat
orthotopic LTx and proteomic analyses to screen for immune response–related biomarkers
in sera. Markers identified were validated at the mRNA and/or protein levels, and the
molecules of interest were functionally explored. Compared with syngeneic controls, signs of
AR as well as spontaneous acceptance were observed in hematoxylin and eosin–stained …
Abstract
Acute rejection (AR) and acceptance of allograft after liver transplantation (LTx) remain critical issues that need addressing to improve prognosis. We therefore performed rat orthotopic LTx and proteomic analyses to screen for immune response–related biomarkers in sera. Markers identified were validated at the mRNA and/or protein levels, and the molecules of interest were functionally explored. Compared with syngeneic controls, signs of AR as well as spontaneous acceptance were observed in hematoxylin and eosin–stained sections of liver allografts. In accordance with the severity of AR, 30 protein spots displaying significant changes in abundance were identified using two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis. Ultimately, 14 serum proteins were sequenced and five spots of interest were identified as hemopexin (HPX). Expression of HPX was significantly and inversely associated with the severity of AR at both the mRNA and protein levels. In vitro, Mt-1, Ho-1, Fth, Ifn-γ, and Il-17 transcripts were significantly upregulated in lysates of lymphocytes stimulated with HPX, whereas Il-10 markedly was remarkably downregulated. Interferon-γ, IL-10, and IL-17 proteins in the supernatant of HPX-stimulated lymphocytes were significantly altered in keeping with the mRNA level. Our data facilitated the generation of a proteomic profile to enhance the understanding of rat liver AR. In view of finding that the HPX serum level is negatively associated with the severity of AR of rat liver allograft, we propose that in vitro treatment with HPX regulates cytokine expression in rat lymphocytes.
* Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China;† Departments of General and Visceral Surgery, and‡ Gastroenterology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; and § Department of Surgery, Fujian Provincial Tumor Hospital, Teaching Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou; and∥ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins