PATHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Doctors use medicines to suppress the recipient’s immune system. The goal is to prevent the immune system from attacking the newly transplanted organ when the organ is not closely matched. If these medicines are not used, the body will almost always launch an immune response and destroy the foreign tissue.

Detailed explanation-2: -What are immunosuppressants? Immunosuppressants are drugs or medicines that lower the body’s ability to reject a transplanted organ. Another term for these drugs is anti-rejection drugs.

Detailed explanation-3: -The immune response to a transplanted organ consists of both cellular (lymphocyte mediated) and humoral (antibody mediated) mechanisms. Although other cell types are also involved, the T cells are central in the rejection of grafts. The rejection reaction consists of the sensitization stage and the effector stage.

Detailed explanation-4: -Patients have to take immuno–suppresants all his/her life to avoid infiltration of T cells but this also lowers their immunity. Q. Why patients who have undergone organ transplant are given immunosuppressive agents?

Detailed explanation-5: -The committee found further strong evidence that virtually all transplant recipients require immunosuppressive drugs to avoid immunologic rejection of their grafts.