Chonnam Med J.  2009 Dec;45(3):154-160. 10.4068/cmj.2009.45.3.154.

Clinical Correlation of CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells in Early Immune Reconstitution after Myeloablative Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

• Yang DH
• Park JS
• Ahn JS
• Kim YK
• Lee JJ
• Kim HJ

• KMID: 2274889
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4068/cmj.2009.45.3.154

Abstract

We investigated whether CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) not only reduce the incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) but also inhibit the expression of NK cells during early immune reconstitution after allogeneic myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In addition, we evaluated whether Tregs were associated with disease relapse. Twenty-nine patients underwent non-T cell-depleted allogeneic HSCT. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were separated at 3 weeks after HSCT. Fourteen patients developed grade 2-4 aGVHD and 13 patients relapsed. Patients with grade 2-4 aGVHD (median, 5.36 ng/microliter) had significantly lower levels of FOXP3 gene expression than did those with grade 0-1 aGVHD (median, 7.45 ng/microliter)ever, the level of FOXP3 . Howgene expression in patients with relapse (median, 7.46 ng/microliter) was significantly higher than in those (median, 5.52 ng/microliter) without relapse (P=0.02). However, we did not find an inverse correlation between the expression of NK cells and Tregs. The level of FOXP3 expression in CD4+CD25+ Tregs was related with the incidence of aGVHD and was associated with the risk of disease relapse. However, NK cells showed no correlation with the expression of Tregs during early immune reconstitution after myeloablative HSCT.

Keyword

Stem cells; Graft-vs-host disease; Gene expressions

MeSH Terms

Gene Expression
Graft vs Host Disease
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Humans
Incidence
Killer Cells, Natural
Recurrence
Stem Cell Transplantation
Stem Cells
T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Figure

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  Fig. 1 The level of FOXP3 gene expression in CD4+CD25+ T cells in early engraftment after myeloablative HSCT. Patients who experienced grade 2~4 aGVHD were compared with those who experienced grade 0~1 aGVHD. Patients with relapse (A) were significantly higher than those without relapse (B).

• 

  Fig. 2 No inversed correlation between Tregs and the expression of NK cells in early engraftment within grade 0~1 aGVHD (A) or grade 2~4 GVHD (B) and no direct relationship between donor grafted T cells and Tregs (C).

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