Influence of graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis on early T-lymphocyte regeneration following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
An early decrease in the ratio between T4+ and T8+ T lymphocytes has been shown to correlate with the development of grade II-IV GVHD in allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients receiving methotrexate (MTX) as prophylaxis for acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This study compares the onset of T-cell regeneration in patients receiving cyclosporin A (CyA) with those receiving MTX. Firstly, lymphoid recovery occurred at a significantly faster rate in the patients on CyA. Secondly, in those patients, the repopulation of T4+ and T8+ T cells started simultaneously, whereas in patients on MTX the repopulation of the T8+ subset lagged about a week behind that of the T4+ subset. Thirdly, the decrease in the T4/T8 ratios as a function of the lymphocyte counts occurred at a significantly slower rate in the patients on CyA than in those on MTX. Thus, the differences in the onset of T-cell regeneration in BMT recipients on CyA as compared with those on MTX abolished the correlation of the T4/T8 ratio changes with grades II-IV GVHD as described in patients receiving MTX.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology*; D013997:Time Factors
D003524:Cyclosporins; D008727:Methotrexate