EVALUATION OF PD-1 AND TIM-3 EXPRESSION LEVELS OF CD8+ T CELLS IN RENAL TRANSPLANT PATIENTS

Objective: After kidney transplantation, CD8+ T cells can infiltrate the kidney and cause necrosis, tubulitis, and even transplant rejection. For this reason, control of the T cell response is very important, and T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 3 (TIM-3) and programmed death 1 (PD-1) molecules play a role in regulating the T cell response. It is thought that the levels of TIM-3 and PD-1 expressions may be guiding in determining the clinical course after transplantation. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the mRNA levels of PD-1 and TIM-3 genes in peripheral blood samples taken from kidney transplant patients and the clinical conditions of the patients. Material and Method: 60 peripheral blood samples were collected from 30 kidney transplant patients, both pre-transplantation (pre-tx) and post-transplantation (post-tx). CD8+ T cells were separated from other lymphocytes by magnetic cell separation system (MACS) and their purity was determined by flow cytometry. Then, RNA was isolated and after cDNA conversion, the expressions of PD-1 and TIM-3 genes were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: While it was determined that the TIM-3 gene expression level increased in patients with acute tubular necrosis, antibody-mediated rejection and cell-mediated rejection findings (p