Abstract |
Donor alloreactive CD4(+) T cells are important to the pathogenesis of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), but specific subsets of CD4(+) T cells responsible for GVHD have not been defined. We hypothesized that cGVHD might be associated with a preponderance of CD4(+) effector memory cells (CCR7(-)/CD62L(low), CD4(EM)). We analyzed CCR7 and CD62L expression on CD4(+) T cells from stem cell transplantation patients, who did or did not develop cGVHD, and healthy donors. Patients with cGVHD had a higher percentage of CD4(EM) cells (35.5% +/- 2.9%) than healthy donors (13.8% +/- 0.7%; P <.0001) or patients without cGVHD that received a transplant (21.7% +/- 2.1%; P <.01). Using corticosteroid dose as a surrogate marker for cGVHD severity, severe cGVHD was associated with a higher percentage of CD4(EM) cells. The proportion of CD4(EM) cells in corticosteroid-dependent patients with systemic lupus erythematosis or Wegener granulomatosis did not differ from patients without cGVHD that received a transplant. This finding implies that overrepresentation of CD4(EM) cells is a unique feature of cGVHD.
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Authors | Kouhei Yamashita, Uimook Choi, Patricia C Woltz, Susan F Foster, Michael C Sneller, Francis T Hakim, Daniel H Fowler, Michael R Bishop, Steven Z Pavletic, Marisa Tamari, Kathleen Castro, A John Barrett, Richard W Childs, Gabor G Illei, Susan F Leitman, Harry L Malech, Mitchell E Horwitz |
Journal | Blood
(Blood)
Vol. 103
Issue 10
Pg. 3986-8
(May 15 2004)
ISSN: 0006-4971 [Print] United States |
PMID | 14764530
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Chemical References |
- CCR7 protein, human
- Receptors, CCR7
- Receptors, Chemokine
- L-Selectin
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Topics |
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
(immunology)
- Case-Control Studies
- Chronic Disease
- Flow Cytometry
- Graft vs Host Disease
(etiology, immunology)
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
(adverse effects)
- Humans
- Immunologic Memory
- Immunophenotyping
- L-Selectin
(analysis)
- Receptors, CCR7
- Receptors, Chemokine
(analysis)
- T-Lymphocyte Subsets
(immunology)
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