Effector mechanisms in graft-versus-host disease in response to minor histocompatibility antigens. II. Evidence of a possible involvement of proliferative T cells.
To study helper T cell activation against minor histocompatibility (mH) antigens of the host after HLA-identical bone marrow transplantation, patients' lymphocytes collected longitudinally after transplantation were tested in a primed lymphocyte test using PBL from patients and donors as stimulator cells. Sixteen patients were studied between 1 and 25 months after grafting. Antihost Th cells were detected in 10 patients. Optimum levels of antihost activity were generally reached within the first 3 months, thereafter two patterns were identified; in some patients the antihost Th cell activity persisted for at least 2 years, whereas in other patients a decline was observed with time. Antihost Th cell activity developed in each of 5 patients with acute GVHD, in 3 out of 5 patients with chronic GVHD, but in only 2 out of 6 patients without GVHD. The average antihost Th cell activity in patients with acute GVHD was significantly higher than in patients without GVHD (P = 0.036) and was also higher, although not significantly, than in patients with chronic GVHD. These findings indicate that, in man, as was shown in studies in mice, helper T cells do participate in the response to mH antigens. Although other mechanisms may also be involved, we here propose that mH antigen-specific Th cells may be a risk factor for acute GVHD.
van Els
C A
CA
Department of Immunohaematology and Blood Bank, University Hospital Leiden, The Netherlands.
Bakker
A
A
Zwinderman
A H
AH
Zwaan
F E
FE
van Rood
J J
JJ
Goulmy
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*
D006680:HLA Antigens; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens