Major Histocompatibility Antigens and Transplantation Immunobiology

Lecture 17

November 9, 2010

PAKISTAN: Under pressure to sell a kidney

Photo: Kamila Hyat/IRIN

Pervaiz Masih sees selling his kidney as the only way to pay off debts

LAHORE, 27 October 2008 (IRIN) - Pervaiz Masih, 32, is taking particular care of his diet these days. "I try to eat some meat and drink at least one glass of fruit juice a day. I need to be healthy because then it is more likely someone will buy my kidney," he told IRIN.

Masih, a labourer, earns about Rs 4,000 (about US$50) a month. With three children to support, he says it is impossible to survive on his income.

The family has accumulated heavy debts, owed to neighbours, relatives and shopkeepers. "The only way I can pay off these debts of around Rs 100,000 [US$1,250] is if I sell a kidney. I have been in touch with some agents from a hospital in Lahore and have been told I could get Rs 200,000 [about $2,500] or even more if a wealthy Pakistani or foreigner buys my kidney."

Before September 2007, Pakistan was known as a major world centre for “renal tourism”. The lack of laws governing the donation and transplant of kidneys made it easy for people needing a new organ to visit Pakistan and buy one - usually from destitute people desperate for cash.

Prison for US body part snatchersThursday, 23 October 2008

Three men who admitted conspiring to sell on body parts harvested from corpses in the United States have been given

at least eight years in prison. A Philadelphia court jailed Louis and Gerald Garzone, who ran

funeral homes in the city, from eight to 20 years.

The scheme's mastermind, Michael Mastromarino, was handed 25 to 58

years - to run concurrently with a similar sentence already received in

New York. The body parts were sold to biomedical firms without the

consent of relatives. Mastromarino described his crimes as "disgusting and embarrassing"

It is a heterodimer consisting of an alpha and beta chain in 95% of T cells, while 5% of T cells have TCRs consisting of gamma and delta chains.

The T-cell receptor

V

J V D

J

No somatic mutation

During T cell development, palindrome, recombination, excision occurs.

T cytotoxicT helper

All

nucleated

Ag

presenting

Blood Group antigens

Karl Landsteiner, 1930

During WW1, 1914-1918, blood transfusions were attempted and patterns of rejection noted. The 1930’s in the US was the Great Depression.

.

Cell surface Blood Group antigens

• MAJOR- ABO T cell independent antigens• MINOR- Duffy, Rh factor (D antigen) other T

cell dependent antigen

            

This skin grafting instrument was made during World War II by Dr. Gilman Kirk from an 88-millimeter mortar shell casing.

1943 on - many reports of treatment of burns with skin

Notice scale expanded

Peter Gorer and George Snell

• Mouse strain A bred with Mouse Strain B• F1 generation• F1 accepts skin graft from either parent• Neither parent accepts skin graft from F1

• Thus it is a inherited trait.

Donor cells +

Mitomycin C

Recipient cells

If no increase in cell Doubling of Extensive Proliferation

Number Cell Number

OK to transplant Possibility of Rejection Acute Rejection

In humans