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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Xenotransplantation. 2014 Sep 11;22(1):32–47. doi: 10.1111/xen.12133

Figure 2. Effect of immunosuppressive therapy (IS) on pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and C-RP levels in relation to activation of coagulation in pig artery patch recipients.

Figure 2

Figure 2

Figure 2

Figure 2

(A) Blood cytokine and chemokine levels after pig artery patch transplantation in comparison to naïve baboons at 14 and 28 days after transplantation. With no IS, elevated levels of IL-12, IFNγ, TNFα, MCP-1 and IL-8 were observed, and was markedly reduced with IS (n=5), whereas IL-6 levels were elevated with IS in comparison to naïve baboons and when no IS was given.

(B) Platelet counts, D-dimers and fibrinogen were evaluated in pig artery patch recipients at 2 weeks and one month after transplantation in comparison to naïve baboons. In naïve baboons, platelet numbers were 250+/−52×103/mm3, D-dimer levels were 1.3+/−1.1μg/mL, and fibrinogen levels were 166+/−43mg/dL. In pig artery patch recipients, platelet numbers were significantly elevated at 2 weeks without IS (395+/−109×103/mm3) or with IS (406+/−107×103/mm3), and at 4 weeks without IS (446+/−159×103/mm3) or with IS (484+/−107×103/mm3) (p<0.001). Without IS, fibrinogen levels remained comparable to those in naïve baboons at 2 weeks (149+/−36mg/dL) and at 4 weeks (161+/−28mg/dL). With IS, fibrinogen levels were slightly elevated at 2 weeks (216+/−98mg/dL), and elevated significantly at 4 weeks (354+/−72mg/dL) (p<0.001). D-dimer levels were significantly elevated at 2 weeks without (1.7+/−0.6μg/mL) or with (1.5+/−0.6μg/mL) IS, and at 4 weeks without IS (3.3+/−1.2μg/mL) or with IS (3.5+/−1μg/mL IS (p<0.001).

(C) Immunosuppression reduced TAT levels in pig artery patch recipients (left). In naïve baboons, TAT levels were 16.3+/−10μg/L. TAT levels were elevated after transplantation with no IS (235.3+/−144.4μg/L), but were reduced to normal levels when IS had been administered (14.2+/−7μg/L). There was a significant positive correlation (r2=0.7956; p<0.01) between TAT levels and absolute CD3+T cell numbers in pig artery patch recipients (right).

(D) C-RP levels in blood were measured before and after pig artery patch xenotransplantation and the fold increase in C-RP levels was determined. Without IS, there was no increase in C-RP level, whereas with IS there was a significant increase. There was a significant negative correlation between C-RP levels and the number of CD3+T cells, and a significant positive correlation between C-RP levels and IL-6 and fibrinogen levels.