Introduction
Transplant rejection occurs when your immune system attacks the new organ or tissue you received from a transplant. Transplant rejection can cause severe damage to or death of the transplanted tissue. There are three types of transplant rejection:
Hyperacute rejection. This occurs moments after a transplant.
Acute rejection. This occurs between the first week and 3 months after the transplant.
Delayed rejection. This occurs any time after the first 3 months and can happen years or decades after the transplant.
What are the causes?
The surfaces of all the cells in your body contain markers called antigens. A transplanted organ or tissue has to have antigens that “match” your antigens. If the antigens of the transplanted organ or …show more content…
Weakness.
Fever.
Abdominal pain.
Flu-like symptoms.
Sudden, unintentional weight gain or obvious swelling of your ankles, hands, or feet.
Organ-specific symptoms include:
Low urine output, weight gain and swelling, and high blood pressure due to kidney rejection.
Shortness of breath, difficulty exercising, and weight gain and swelling due to heart or lung rejection.
High blood sugar levels due to pancreas rejection.
Yellow skin (jaundice) and a tendency to bruise and bleed easily due to liver rejection.
How is this diagnosed?
This condition is diagnosed based on your medical history and symptoms, a physical, and tests, which may include:
Blood and urine tests to check the function of the transplanted organ.
Imaging tests, such as:
X-rays
Ultrasounds
CT scans
Biopsy. This is when a small sample of the transplanted organ or tissue is removed and examined in a lab for signs of rejection.
How is this treated?
After having a transplant, you are prescribed medicine to prevent rejection. However, if transplant rejection is diagnosed, your health care provider may have you take higher doses of this medicine to stop the rejection. Your health care provider also may have you take different medicines to stop your immune system from rejecting the transplanted tissue or
Transplant rejection occurs when your immune system attacks the new organ or tissue you received from a transplant. Transplant rejection can cause severe damage to or death of the transplanted tissue. There are three types of transplant rejection:
Hyperacute rejection. This occurs moments after a transplant.
Acute rejection. This occurs between the first week and 3 months after the transplant.
Delayed rejection. This occurs any time after the first 3 months and can happen years or decades after the transplant.
What are the causes?
The surfaces of all the cells in your body contain markers called antigens. A transplanted organ or tissue has to have antigens that “match” your antigens. If the antigens of the transplanted organ or …show more content…
Weakness.
Fever.
Abdominal pain.
Flu-like symptoms.
Sudden, unintentional weight gain or obvious swelling of your ankles, hands, or feet.
Organ-specific symptoms include:
Low urine output, weight gain and swelling, and high blood pressure due to kidney rejection.
Shortness of breath, difficulty exercising, and weight gain and swelling due to heart or lung rejection.
High blood sugar levels due to pancreas rejection.
Yellow skin (jaundice) and a tendency to bruise and bleed easily due to liver rejection.
How is this diagnosed?
This condition is diagnosed based on your medical history and symptoms, a physical, and tests, which may include:
Blood and urine tests to check the function of the transplanted organ.
Imaging tests, such as:
X-rays
Ultrasounds
CT scans
Biopsy. This is when a small sample of the transplanted organ or tissue is removed and examined in a lab for signs of rejection.
How is this treated?
After having a transplant, you are prescribed medicine to prevent rejection. However, if transplant rejection is diagnosed, your health care provider may have you take higher doses of this medicine to stop the rejection. Your health care provider also may have you take different medicines to stop your immune system from rejecting the transplanted tissue or