Background Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality post lung transplantation (LTx). We sought to determine the relationship between alloimmune responses and autoimmunity, and subsequently how autoimmunity leads to chronic rejection. Methods We analyzed the development of donor specific antibodies (Abs) in LTx by flow PRA and the development of Abs to K-α1 tubulin (K-α1T) and collagen V (ColV) by ELISA. The frequency of K-α1T and ColV specific T cells that secrete IFN-γ, IL-17 and IL-10 in LTx recipients was measured by ELSIPOT. Results In a retrospective analysis of 42 LTx recipients, we demonstrated a strong correlation between development of donor specific anti-HLA Abs, Abs to self-antigens, and BOS (p<0.05). To test the hypothesis that alloimmunity is related to an immune response to self-antigens, we analyzed 103 LTx patients prospectively for the development of donor specific Abs (DSA) and Abs to self-antigens. 42.7% of recipients developed DSA and 30.1% developed Abs to K-α1T and ColV. Development of DSA preceded development of Abs to self-antigens. BOS+ patients had higher frequency of T-cells secreting IL-17 (p<0.01) and IFNγ (p<0.05) with decreased IL-10 (p<0.05) compared to BOS- patients. Conclusion Based on these results we propose that alloimmune responses to donor HLA can induce autoimmune responses to airway epithelial self-antigens, characterized by activation of the IL-17 pathway. These immune responses to self-antigens along with alloimmunity contribute to the pathogenesis of BOS. Strategies to prevent development of autoimmunity may be important in preventing the development of chronic rejection.

Our study indicates that anti-HLA class I antibodies play an important role in the pathogenesis of BOS and that monitoring of anti-HLA class I antibody development by a highly sensitive assay such as the PRA-STAT ELISA after LT can provide an early identification of an important subset of LT patients with an increased risk of developing BOS.

These data suggest that BOS is the result of an immune process, that differences at the HLA-A locus may play an important role in this process, and antibody-mediated injury may play a role in BOS.

These data suggest that bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome is the result of an immune-mediated process in which HLA antibodies and cytomegalovirus may play a significant role.

Background-The role of donor specific antibodies (DSA) to mismatched human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and antibodies (Abs) to cardiac self-antigens myosin (MYO) and vimentin (VIM) in the pathogenesis of acute antibody mediated rejection (AMR) in the early posttranplant period (EP,<12months) and cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) in the late posttransplant period (LP,>12months) following heart transplantation (HTx) was studied.