ISSN: 2155-9899
Pedram Hamrah
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School,
Boston, MA 02114
Tanzania
Review Article
Corneal Allograft Rejection: Immunopathogenesis to Therapeutics
Author(s): Yureeda Qazi and Pedram HamrahYureeda Qazi and Pedram Hamrah
Corneal transplantation is among the most successful solid organ transplants. However, despite low rejection rates of grafts in the ‘low-risk’ setting, rejection can be as high as 70% when grafted into ‘high risk’ recipient beds. Under normal homeostatic conditions, the avascular cornea provides a unique environment that facilitates immune and angiogenic privilege. An imbalance in pro-inflammatory, angiogenic and lymphangiogenic mediators leads to a breakdown in corneal immune privilege with a consequent host response against the donor graft. Recent developments in lamellar and endothelial keratoplasties have reduced the rates of graft rejection even more, while providing improved visual outcomes. The corneal layer against which an immune response is initiated, largely determines reversibility of the acute episode. While epithelial and stromal graft rejection m.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2155-9899.S9-006