Question

Why patients who have undergone organ transplant are given immunosuppressive agents?

• A. To inhibit cytotoxic T cell infiltration
• B. To kill B cells
• C. To kill helper T cells
• D. To kill memory cells

Answer 1

The correct option is A To inhibit cytotoxic T cell infiltration

Organ transplant is a novel act. People donate their organs to the ones who need them for their survival. Even after getting an organ donor it does not ensure that the transplant can take place.

Tissue matching(MHC Matches) and blood group matching are essential before undertaking any graft/transplant. The immune system is able to differentiate ‘self’ and ‘nonself’ and the cell-mediated immune response is responsible for the graft rejection.

Cell mediated response includes cytotoxic T cells, helper T cells and memory T cells.

Helper T cells are the most numerous T cells which cannot kill cells but activate B cells and Cytotoxic T cells to kill pathogens or infected cells. And memory T cells are generated in response to pathogen attack during first exposure to avoid or prevent the infection on subsequent exposure.

Cytotoxic T cells play an important role in organ rejection. They are killer cells. They recognise the MHC complex (protein receptor) found on every cell and this help to differentiate the foreign tissues from self, attacking and killing the non self.

Patients have to take immuno–suppresants all his/her life to avoid infiltration of T cells but this also lowers their immunity.