How transplanted livers guard against organ rejection
People who get a liver transplant often require less anti-rejection medication, and new research helps explain why. This study shows that the liver transplant itself regulates the hosts immune responses. Compared to the other organs, the liver is immunologically a very active organ, so it is capable of regulating the immune responses against itself, explained study author Dr. Timucin Taner, a transplant surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochest er, Minn.
Scientists have known for decades that people whove had a liver transplant need less medication to suppress their immune system and prevent their body from rejecting the organ they received. This is true even if they receive other organs along with a new liver, the study authors explained.
To explore this phenomenon further, the researchers compared blood samples from organ recipients one year after their surgery. There were 61 patients who had undergone kidney transplants, 31 who got liver transplants, and 28 patients who underwent both a kidney and a liver transplant.
The study showed those who received both organs or just a liver had fewer immune cells that respond to foreign invaders than those who only received a new kidney.
And although the liver transplant patients response to the donated organs was weaker, their immune systems remained strong against other foreign substances. In a Mayo Clinic news release, the researchers said more research is needed to determine exactly how the liver alters the bodys immune response.
They noted that if doctors could mimic this response in other types of transplants, organ recipients would be less reliant on anti-rejection medications, which increase the risk for infection, cancer and other health issues.
There are many new things a person experiences after liver transplantation. Before you leave the hospital, your team will provide all the instructions you and your family will need in caring for the new you.
Three months after the operation, most patients have recovered fully, returned to work, and are enjoying active lives. Our goal is to provide expert care and excellent follow-up, working with your primary care physician, to make the extent and quality of your life appreciably better than before. We urge you and your local doctor to keep in touch with the CLDT to let us partner in your ongoing care.
After your liver transplant, you will be required to take medications to help your new liver function smoothly. Your bodys immune system will recognize your transplanted organ as a foreign object and attempt to protect you by rejecting it. To protect your new liver, we prescribe a variety of medications to suppress your bodys natural immune response.
These medications have side effects that can include high blood pressure, excessive hair growth or loss, hand tremors, mood swings, weight gain, bone loss, and diabetes. Not everyone experiences the same effects and some are temporary; others will continue as long as you take the medicines. We will monitor and alter your medication regimen to minimize side effects and reduce dosages as quickly as possible, ensuring your new liver functions at its best. Although the amount of immunosuppressive medications required will decrease over time, they will be necessary for the rest of your life.
As with any other surgical procedure, in rare instances, complications may arise after liver transplantation. There is a small risk of bleeding at the anastomosis, the place where the blood vessels from donor and recipient were sewn together. This is minimized by monitoring clotting factors in the blood after surgery and measuring output from the drains placed during the operation.
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