Abstract
Selective depletion (SD) of host-reactive donor T cells from allogeneic stem-cell transplants (SCTs) using an anti-CD25 immunotoxin (IT) is a strategy to prevent acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD). There is concern that concurrent removal of regulatory T cells (Tregs) with incomplete removal of alloactivated CD25+ T cells could increase the risk of aGvHD. We therefore measured Tregs in the blood of 16 patients receiving a T-cell-depleted allograft together with anti-CD25-IT-treated SD lymphocytes, in 13 of their HLA-identical donors, and in 10 SD products. T regs were characterized by intracellular staining for forkhead box protein 3 (FOXP3) and by quantitative reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for FOXP3 gene in CD4+ cells. Patients received a median of 1.0 × 108/kg SD T cells and a stem cell product containing a median of 0.25 × 104/kg residual T cells. T regs reconstituted promptly after SCT and underwent further expansion. Of the CD4+ T cells in SD products, 1.5% to 4.8% were CD25- Tregs. Acute GvHD (≥ grade II) was restricted to 5 patients whose donors had significantly (P = .019) fewer Tregs compared with those without clinically significant aGvHD. These results suggest that rapid Treg reconstitution can occur following SD allografts, either from CD25- Tregs escaping depletion, or from residual CD25- and CD25+ Tregs contained in the stem-cell product that expand after transplantation andmayconfer additional protection against GvHD.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1689-1697 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Blood |
Volume | 110 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 1 2007 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Hematology
- Cell Biology