De novo autoimmunity after organ transplantation:: Targets and possible pathways

The development of autoantibodies to different tissue-specific antigens in patients without existing history of autoimmune diseases suggests that autoimmunity may develop de nova after organ transplantation. In addition to alto-specific immune responses, tissue-specific autoimmunity also appears contribute to the host anti-graft response, and thus may affect long-term graft function. As graft failure caused by chronic rejection is a major challenge in clinical transplantation, understanding de novo autoreactivity after transplantation has important ramifications. This review investigates this emerging concept by discussing target antigens and possible pathways. (C) 2008 American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.