Nefrología : publicación oficial de la Sociedad Española Nefrologia
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Graft destruction can be effected by direct cell-to-cell contact between activated effector T cell and a target graft resulting in delivery of cytotoxic molecules. Perforin and granzyme B can be used as activation markers for cytotoxic cells in allograft tissue. The aim of the study was to determine the immunoexpression of perforin and granzyme B by immune cells infiltrating renal tissue during acute allograft rejection and to evaluate any correlation between the phenotype of infiltrating lymphocytes and cells expressing cytotoxic granules as well as the severity of graft damage as defined by Banff 97 criteria. ⋯ Moreover, in acute allograft rejection Banff IB the number of granzyme B+ cells and perforin+ cells was correlated with the number of CD8+ T cells. In conclusion, our results suggest that in acute tubulointerstitial allograft rejection activated cytotoxic T lymphocytes play a major role. The strong immunopositivity for granzyme B on infiltrating cells in renal transplant tissue is suggested as a marker of severity of graft damage.