Clinical meaning
Heart Transplant Rejection involves dysregulation of innate or adaptive immune responses leading to tissue injury or immunodeficiency in heart transplant rejection.
Diagnosis & workup
Diagnostics & workup: - HIV testing (4th gen Ag/Ab combo, confirmatory Western blot) - Lymphocyte proliferation assays for cellular immunity - Complete blood count with differential (lymphocyte subsets) - Tissue biopsy for immune complex deposition or granulomatous inflammation - Complement levels (C3, C4, CH50, AH50) - Quantitative immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE) - Specific IgE testing or skin prick testing for allergen identification
Risk factors: - Nutritional deficiencies (zinc, vitamin D) affecting immunity - Genetic variants in HLA, complement, or immune pathways - Family history of autoimmune disease or immunodeficiency - Age-related immune senescence (immunosenescence) - Medication exposure triggering immune-mediated reactions - Prior allergic reactions or anaphylaxis history - Immunosuppressive therapy increasing infection susceptibility