Recovery of T cell subsets after autologous bone marrow transplantation is mainly due to proliferation of mature T cells in the graft.
In 22 patients with malignancies, treated with high-dose chemoradiotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT), peripheral blood T cell subsets and functions were studied. In ten cytomegalovirus (CMV)-negative patients, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (representing T cells of the helper/inducer phenotype and T cells of the suppressor/cytotoxic phenotype, respectively), recovered slowly and simultaneously. In 12 CMV-positive patients, however, CD8+ T cells recovered more rapidly than CD4+ T cells and rose to increased counts. No T cells with an immature phenotype (CD1+, OKT6+) were observed. Lymphocyte stimulation by herpes simplex virus infected fibroblasts (and by CMV-infected fibroblasts in CMV-positive patients) in contrast remained high and even increased after BMT in both groups. These data indicate that T cell recovery after autologous BMT is mainly due to proliferation of mature T cells present in the BM graft and not to generation of new T cells from T cell precursors.
de Gast
G C
GC
Verdonck
L F
LF
Middeldorp
J M
JM
The
T H
TH
Hekker
A
A
vd Linden
J A
JA
Kreeft
H A
HA
Bast
B J
BJ
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000209:etiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation
D000914:Antibodies, Viral