TY - JOUR
T1 - Low percentages of circulating CD8+/CD45RA+ human T lymphocytes expressing β7 integrin correlate with the occurrence of intestinal acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
AU - Avanzini, M. Antonietta
AU - Maccario, Rita
AU - Locatelli, Franco
AU - Giebel, Sebastian
AU - Santos, Conceiçao Dos
AU - Bernardo, Maria Ester
AU - Pagliara, Daria
AU - Montagna, Daniela
AU - Longo, Stefania
AU - Amendola, Giovanni
AU - Marconi, Massimo
PY - 2006/10
Y1 - 2006/10
N2 - Objective: Effector phase of acute graft-versus-host disease (a-GVHD) is mainly mediated by donor-derived, anti-host cytotoxic T cells. T-cell homing into gut-associated lymphoid tissues is ascribed to the α4β7 integrin. We reasoned that development of intestinal a-GVHD might be triggered by recruitment in the intestinal mucosa of circulating, alloreactive, α4β7+ donor T cells. Therefore, we evaluated the correlation existing between circulating β7+ T-lymphocyte subsets early after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and occurrence of a-GVHD. Patients and Methods: Surface expression of β7 integrin on T cells was evaluated by means of direct immunofluorescence, in three-color analysis. Sixty-five patients given allo-HSCT were evaluated: 13 of them experienced intestinal a-GVHD, 14 developed a-GVHD without intestinal involvement, and 38 did not develop a-GVHD. Patients were studied early after initial signs of hematologic reconstitution and before occurrence of a-GVHD. Results: We found a significantly higher absolute number of CD8+ and a significantly lower percentage of CD8+CD45RA+β7+ T cells in patients with intestinal a-GVHD than in patients with a-GVHD without intestinal involvement (p = 0.003 and p = 0.003, respectively) or not experiencing a-GVHD (p = 0.02 and p = 0.002, respectively). In particular, we found that intestinal a-GVHD occurred in over 70% of patients showing an absolute number of CD8+ T cells ≥ 60 × 106/L and a percentage of circulating CD8+CD45RA+β7+ T cells <35%. Conclusion: Measuring the absolute number of CD8+ T cells and percentage of CD8+CD45RA+β7+ T cells at time of hematologic reconstitution may help identify patients at risk of developing intestinal a-GVHD who could benefit from strategies aimed at hampering alloreactive T-cell homing to intestinal mucosa.
AB - Objective: Effector phase of acute graft-versus-host disease (a-GVHD) is mainly mediated by donor-derived, anti-host cytotoxic T cells. T-cell homing into gut-associated lymphoid tissues is ascribed to the α4β7 integrin. We reasoned that development of intestinal a-GVHD might be triggered by recruitment in the intestinal mucosa of circulating, alloreactive, α4β7+ donor T cells. Therefore, we evaluated the correlation existing between circulating β7+ T-lymphocyte subsets early after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and occurrence of a-GVHD. Patients and Methods: Surface expression of β7 integrin on T cells was evaluated by means of direct immunofluorescence, in three-color analysis. Sixty-five patients given allo-HSCT were evaluated: 13 of them experienced intestinal a-GVHD, 14 developed a-GVHD without intestinal involvement, and 38 did not develop a-GVHD. Patients were studied early after initial signs of hematologic reconstitution and before occurrence of a-GVHD. Results: We found a significantly higher absolute number of CD8+ and a significantly lower percentage of CD8+CD45RA+β7+ T cells in patients with intestinal a-GVHD than in patients with a-GVHD without intestinal involvement (p = 0.003 and p = 0.003, respectively) or not experiencing a-GVHD (p = 0.02 and p = 0.002, respectively). In particular, we found that intestinal a-GVHD occurred in over 70% of patients showing an absolute number of CD8+ T cells ≥ 60 × 106/L and a percentage of circulating CD8+CD45RA+β7+ T cells <35%. Conclusion: Measuring the absolute number of CD8+ T cells and percentage of CD8+CD45RA+β7+ T cells at time of hematologic reconstitution may help identify patients at risk of developing intestinal a-GVHD who could benefit from strategies aimed at hampering alloreactive T-cell homing to intestinal mucosa.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.exphem.2006.06.006
DO - 10.1016/j.exphem.2006.06.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 16982336
AN - SCOPUS:33748580715
SN - 0301-472X
VL - 34
SP - 1429
EP - 1434
JO - Experimental Hematology
JF - Experimental Hematology
IS - 10
ER -