Liver, Acute cellular (T cell mediated) rejection

Details
Gender
Age
45 years
Organ System/Discipline
Diagnosis
Acute cellular (T-cell mediated) rejection
Clinical History

45 year-old male post liver transplant one month prior, biopsy performed due to elevated liver enzymes.

Case Discussion

Acute cellular rejection is a form of immune mediated inflammation and injury of liver allograft due to genetic mismatch. Patients are often asymptomatic but may present with fever or abdominal pain, or nonspecific elevation of liver function tests. Acute cellular rejection most often presents within the first month, but can occur at any time after transplantation. It is characterized by mixed portal inflammatory cell infiltrates, bile duct damage, and subendothelial venous inflammation.

This section shows a moderate portal infiltrate (lymphoid cells with eosinophils) along with venous subendothelial inflammation and bile duct injury by lympmhocytes. The features are in keeping with acute cellular (T-cell mediated) rejection.

Image Contributors
Shao, T., Fischer, S.

Cite

Shao, T., Fischer, S. Liver, Acute cellular (T cell mediated) rejection. Digital Laboratory Medicine Library, Dept of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto. Published . Accessed December 17, 2025. https://dev.dlml.cflabs.ca/image/liver-acute-cellular-t-cell-mediated-rejection-lmp69631