Analysis of liver allograft age by telomere length after pediatric living donor liver transplantation

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K10522
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General surgery
• Research Institution: Jichi Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Sanada Yukihiro 自治医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (60406113)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: テロメア / 肝移植 / 組織Q-FISH法 / グラフト臓器寿命 / 拒絶反応

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, telomere length of hepatocyte in pediatric recipients following liver transplantation was examined by quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization whether graft liver’s age or life is clear by telomere.
After the presentation of aging curve of telomere length of hepatocyte in healthy donors, telomere length of hepatocyte with time was examined in both pediatric recipients with acute rejection and without acute rejection.
The telomere length of hepatocyte with time cannot be found a certain trend in both pediatric recipients with acute rejection and without acute rejection. However, I think that I want to clear the graft liver’s age or life by continued evaluation of outcomes and accumulation of further experience of telomere study.

Free Research Field

肝移植

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現在まで移植肝のテロメア長の短縮率や経時的変化を明らかにした報告は国内外において皆無で、小児肝移植後レシピエントにおける移植肝のテロメア長の短縮率や加齢曲線を明らかにすることは、きわめて意義深い。また、テロメアは細胞生物学的な側面より肝予備能を評価することができるため、テロメア長は移植肝の臓器年齢や臓器寿命の指標になる可能性があり、小児移植医療に大きな福音をもたらすと思われる。
本研究では拒絶反応症例と非拒絶反応症例のいずれにおいてもテロメア長の経時的変化に一定の傾向を認めることができなかったが、今後も症例を蓄積し、小児生体肝移植後のテロメア長による移植肝年齢や寿命の解明に迫りたいと考えている。