T cell subpopulations after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
T-cell subpopulations were studied in six patients after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for aplastic anemia and acute leukaemia, by means of receptors for IgG (TG-cells) and IgM (TM-cells). Significant modifications of TM-TG levels were found: a 2 to 10 fold increase of TG cells and a 2 to 10 fold decrease of TM cells from pre-transplant levels could be observed. The TM-TG imbalance appeared together with the clinical signs of GVHD: the level of TM-depression (but not the level of TG increase) correlated with the severity of GVHD. The TM-TG modifications were observed as long as 3 years after transplantation, also in the absence of signs of GVHD. In addition, all six patients were found to have severely impaired pokeweed-induced B-cell differentiation. The clinical implications and the possible lack of T-helper activity are discussed.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000628:therapy; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000628:therapy; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous