The Banff 97 working classification refines earlier schemas and represents input from two classifications most widely used in clinical rejection trials and in clinical practice worldwide. Major changes include the following: rejection with vasculitis is separated from tubulointerstitial rejection; severe rejection requires transmural changes in arteries; "borderline" rejection can only be interpreted in a clinical context; antibody-mediated rejection is further defined, and lesion scoring focuses on most severely involved structures. Criteria for specimen adequacy have also been modified. Banff 97 represents a significant refinement of allograft assessment, developed via international consensus discussions.

Background: Experimental and epidemiologic investigations suggest that a-tocopherol (the most prevalent chemical form of vitamin E found in vegetable oils, seeds, grains, nuts, and other foods) and (3-carotene (a plant pigment and major precursor of vitamin A found in many yellow, orange, and dark-green, leafy vegetables and some fruit) might reduce the risk of cancer, particularly lung cancer. The initial Findings of the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study (ATBC Study) indicated, however, that lung cancer incidence was increased among participants who received p-carotene as a supplement. Similar results were recently reported by the Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET), which tested a combination of (3-carotene and vitamin A. Purpose: We examined the effects of a-tocopherol and p-carotene supplementation on the incidence of lung cancer across subgroups of participants in the ATBC Study defined by base-line characteristics (e.g., age, number of cigarettes smoked, dietary or serum vitamin status, and alcohol consumption), by study compliance, and in relation to clinical factors, such as disease stage and histologic type. Our primary purpose was to determine whether the pattern of intervention effects across subgroups could facilitate further interpretation of the main ATBC Study results and shed light on potential mechanisms of action and relevance to other populations. Methods: A total of 29 133 men aged 50-69 years who smoked five or more cigarettes daily were randomly assigned to receive a-tocopherol (50 mg), P-carotene (20 mg), atocopherol and P-carotene, or a placebo daily for 5-8 years (median, 6.1 years). Data regarding smoking and other risk factors for lung cancer and dietary factors were obtained at study entry, along with measurements of serum levels of atocopherol and P-carotene. Incident cases of lung cancer (n = 894) were identified through the Finnish Cancer Registry and death certificates. Each lung cancer diagnosis was independently confirmed, and histology or cytology was available for 94% of the cases. Intervention effects were evaluated by use of survival analysis and proportional hazards models. All P values were derived from two-sided or p-carotene supplements prevents the occurrence of lung cancer (7). a-Tocopherol is the most prevalent chemical form of vitamin E that occurs naturally in vegetable oils, seeds, grains, nuts, and other foods, and P-carotene is a plant pigment and major precursor of vitamin A found in many yellow, orange, and dark-green, leafy vegetables and some yellow fruit. The initial cancer-and mortality-related findings of the ATBC Study have been reported (2,3) and indicated no reduction in the incidence of or mortality from lung cancer among participants who received either a-tocopherol or P-carotene as a supplement. Instead, an increase in incidence was observed among participants who received p-carotene (20 mg daily). A similar result for P-carotene was recently reported by the Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET), which ha...

Histologic grading systems are used to guide diagnosis, therapy, and audit on an international basis. The reproducibility of grading systems is usually tested within small groups of pathologists who have previously worked or trained together. This may underestimate the international variation of scoring systems. We therefore evaluated the reproducibility of an established system, the Banff classification of renal allograft pathology, throughout Europe. We also sought to improve reproducibility by providing individual feedback after each of 14 small groups of cases. Kappa values for all features studied were lower than any previously published, confirming that international variation is greater than interobserver variation as previously assessed. A prolonged attempt to improve reproducibility, using numeric or graphical feedback, failed to produce any detectable improvement. We then asked participants to grade selected photographs, to eliminate variation induced by pathologists viewing different areas of the slide. This produced improved kappa values only for some features. Improvement was influenced by the nature of the grade definitions. Definitions based on "area affected" by a process were not improved. The results indicate the danger of basing decisions on grading systems that may be applied very differently in different institutions.

an internationally acceptable grading system, which has al-A panel of recognized experts in liver transplantation ready been developed for kidney, 3 heart, 4 and lung. 5 At the pathology, hepatology, and surgery was convened for Third Banff Conference on Allograft Pathology, a group of the purpose of developing a consensus document for the specialists in liver transplantation from North America, Eugrading of acute liver allograft rejection that is scientifirope, and Asia met for this purpose. cally correct, simple, and reproducible and clinically useful. Over a period of 6 months pertinent issues were DEFINITION OF ACUTE REJECTION discussed via electronic communication media and a consensus conference was held in Banff, Canada in the In general, organ allograft rejection can be defined as, ''an summer of 1995. Based on previously published data and immunological reaction to the presence of a foreign tissue or the combined experience of the group, the panel agreed organ, which has the potential to result in graft dysfunction on a common nomenclature and a set of histopathologi-and failure.'' 2 This report is specifically concerned with acute cal criteria for the grading of acute liver allograft rejec-rejection, recently defined by the international consensus tion, and a preferred method of reporting. Adoption of document on terminology for hepatic allograft rejection 2 as, this internationally accepted, common grading system ''inflammation of the allograft, elicited by a genetic disparity by scientific journals will minimize the problems associ-between the donor and recipient, primarily affecting interlobated with the use of multiple different local systems. ular bile ducts and vascular endothelia, including portal Modifications of this working document to incorporate veins and hepatic venules and occasionally the hepatic artery chronic rejection are expected in the future. (HEPATOL-and its branches.'' 2 Early rejection, cellular rejection, nonduc-OGY 1997;25:658-663.) topenic rejection, rejection without duct loss, and reversible rejection are synonyms for acute rejection that appear in the literature, but their use is discouraged. The general clinical, The success of hepatic transplantation has resulted in its laboratory, and histopathological abnormalities listed below widespread use for treatment of many patients with endstage were derived from the international consensus document.2 liver disease; it is currently offered by more than 100 centers worldwide. One-year survival rates range from 70% to 90%; CLINICAL AND LABORATORY FINDINGSand long-term survival of 50% to 60% of patients is not unViewed from a biological perspective, any recipient's imcommon.1 Therefore, an increasing number of physicians, inmune system will likely be perturbed after transplantation, cluding pathologists, many of whom have no specific training resulting in immune activation. 2 However, viewed from a in transplantation biology, will become involved in the care clinical perspective, because of baseline immunosuppressive of organ all...

Abstract. This study is an investigation of whether a protocol biopsy may be used as surrogate to late graft survival in multicenter renal transplantation trials. During two mycophenolate mofetil trials, 621 representative protocol biopsies were obtained at baseline, 1 yr, and 3 yr. The samples were coded and evaluated blindly by two pathologists, and Chronic Allograft Damage Index (CADI) score was constructed. At 1 yr, only 20% of patients had elevated (Ͼl.5 mg/100 ml) serum creatinine, whereas 60% of the biopsies demonstrated an elevated (Ͼ2.0) CADI score. The mean CADI score at baseline, 1.3 Ϯ 1