title: Imbalances within the peripheral blood T-helper (CD4+) and T-suppressor (CD8+) cell populations in the reconstitution phase after human bone marrow transplantation.
abstract: Peripheral blood T cell subsets were evaluated in 11 patients during the reconstitution phase after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and compared with 11 age-matched controls. The proportion of cells coexpressing Leu7 and CD11b (C3bi receptor) markers was determined within the CD4+ (T-helper) and the CD8+ (T-suppressor) subsets by two-color immunofluorescence analysis. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells reached normal or near-normal values within the first year posttransplant. In contrast to normal controls, however, most of the cells in both subsets coexpressed the Leu7 and CD11b markers. T cells with such phenotype display the morphological features of granular lymphocytes (GLs) and a functional inability to produce interleukin 2 (IL 2). These T cell imbalances were not related to graft v host disease (GvHD) or to clinically detectable virus infections and may account for some defects of cellular and humoral immunity that occur after bone marrow transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Velardi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terenzi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cucciaioni
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Millo
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Grossi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grignani
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Martelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000473:pathology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2