Development of a Combined Heart and Carotid Artery Transplant Model to Investigate the Impact of Acute Rejection on Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy

We present direct experimental evidence that CAV is promoted by acute parenchymal rejection of the heart. This interaction between acute rejection and CAV is mediated by both allospecific and non-allospecific processes. Effective therapeutic strategy against CAV should therefore target non-allospecific mediators as well as prevent episodes of acute rejection.