CAQ Corner: Basic Concepts of Transplant Immunology

The document provides a comprehensive overview of transplant immunology, focusing on the immune system's response to organ transplantation, especially liver transplantation. It explains the role of the immune system, composed of innate and adaptive immunity, in recognizing foreign molecules and responding to organ transplantation. The document discusses two types of rejection: T cell–mediated rejection (TCMR) and antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), and the concept of immune tolerance. It also covers various immunosuppressive agents used to prevent organ rejection, including corticosteroids, antibody therapies, calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs), mTOR inhibitors, and antimetabolites. The document highlights the complex interplay between the innate and adaptive immune systems in response to organ transplantation, the role of T cell activation, and the pathways of TCMR and AMR. It also mentions FK-506 as the preferred first-line agent for maintenance immunosuppression and potential drug interactions with CNIs and mTOR inhibitors.