Acquired tolerance for minor histocompatibility antigens after HLA identical bone marrow transplantation.
Skin tissue of a healthy chimera 7 years after HLA identical bone marrow transplantation was found to express a minor histocompatibility (mH) antigen against which cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) had been discovered at a time of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). We were prompted to investigate the apparent tolerance to this persistent mH antigen and used limiting dilution analysis to monitor in vitro anti-host CTL responses in time after bone marrow transplantation. A high anti-host CTL precursor frequency was found during acute GVHD, declining in time until beyond detection level in the healthy chimera 7 years after transplantation. In this case report (i) CTL precursor frequencies are used for the first time to monitor in vitro tolerance induction to persistent host mH antigens after HLA identical BMT in man; and (ii) it is shown that LDA may be a potential tool for quantification and specificity analysis of CTL responses to mH antigens.
de Bueger
M
M
Department of Immunohaematology and Bloodbank, University Hospital Leiden, The Netherlands.
Bakker
A
A
Goulmy
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D002678:Chimera / Q000276:immunology; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology; D006680:HLA Antigens; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
D006680:HLA Antigens; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens