Figure 1.

HO-1 protein level in lung fibroblasts from human transplant recipients increased and correlated with acute rejection grade. Fibroblasts cultured from lung biopsy specimens of transplanted patients were harvested and cultured. Biopsy specimens were sent to pathology for acute rejection grading. Protein was extracted from cultured fibroblast and subjected to Western blot hybridization with HO-1 antibody as described in Methods. Each lane represents pooled samples from a group of five patients with acute rejection grade I to III; control was from normal patient lung. Cultured fibroblast was used at passage 2 to 3. The same membranes were probed with an antibody against β-actin to assure equal loading of the gel.