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You are here : AllRefer.com > Health > Diseases & Conditions > Transplant Rejection

Transplant Rejection

Provided by A.D.A.M.

Definition

Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

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Alternate Names : Graft Rejection, Tissue/Organ Rejection


Definition

Transplant rejection is when a transplant recipient's immune system attacks a transplanted organ or tissue. See also graft-versus-host disease.

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Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

Your body's immune system protects you from potentially harmful substances, such as microorganisms, toxins, and cancer cells. These harmful substances have proteins called antigens on their surfaces. If your immune system identifies antigens that are foreign (not part of your body), it will attack the substance.

In the same way, foreign blood or tissue can trigger a blood transfusion reaction or transplant rejection. To help prevent this, tissue is "typed" before the transplant procedure to identify the antigens it contains.

Though tissue typing ensures that the organ or tissue is as similar as possible to the tissues of the recipient, the match is usually not perfect. No two people (except identical twins) have identical tissue antigens.

Immunosuppressive drugs are needed to prevent organ rejection. Otherwise, organ and tissue transplantation would almost always cause an immune response and result in destruction of the foreign tissue.

There are some exceptions, however. Corneal transplants are rarely rejected because corneas have no blood supply -- immune cells and antibodies do not reach the cornea to cause rejection. In addition, transplants from one identical twin to another are almost never rejected.



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Definition
Transplant Rejection Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
Transplant Rejection Symptoms & Signs
Transplant Rejection Prevention
Transplant Rejection Diagnosis & Tests
Transplant Rejection Treatment
Transplant Rejection Prognosis
Transplant Rejection Complications
Calling Your Health Care Provider
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Topics that might be of interest to you

Diseases & Conditions

Graft-Versus-Host Disease
Transfusion Reaction

Tests & Exams

Biopsy
Blood Typing
TORCH Screen

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Immune Response

Review Date : 5/16/2003
Reviewed By : A.D.A.M. editorial. Previous review by Sarah Pressman Lovinger, M.D., General Internist at Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial reviewers. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2003 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

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Page Last Updated: 19 Jul, 2008