Immunologic targets in the etiology of allograft vasculopathy: endothelium versus media.

The respective roles of the endothelium and the media as allo-immune targets in the generation of allograft vasculopathy (AV) have yet to be clearly defined. Although endothelial damage has been implicated in the progression of AV, evidence from mechanical vascular injury models suggests that medial injury may play a more dominant role. The overall objective of this research was to determine the relative importance of the endothelium versus the media as a target for immune injury and induction of AV.