title: Anti-host cytotoxic T cells of bone marrow transplant recipients with or without graft-versus-host disease are equally sensitive to cyclosporin A.
abstract: It is generally accepted that cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) play an important role in the pathogenesis of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Nonetheless, anti-host CTLs can be observed in the peripheral blood of patients both with and without clinical signs of GVHD following HLA genotypically identical bone marrow transplantation. Thus we questioned whether a qualitative difference, such as a differential in vitro sensitivity to cyclosporin A (CsA), may exist between the anti-host CTLs, generated from these groups of patients post-bone marrow transplantation (BMT). We analyzed anti-host CTL precursors (CTLp) of patients without clinical signs of GVHD, of patients suffering from acute GVHD (grade II-IV) and of patients suffering from acute GVHD followed by chronic GVHD for their in vitro sensitivity to the inhibitory effects of CsA. The results obtained in a total of 20 patients revealed anti-host CTLp frequencies (CTLpf) post-BMT in all three groups of patients and addition of CsA in the tests resulted in approximately 60% inhibition of the CTLpf independent of the GVHD status of the patients. Thus, in view of the in vitro CsA sensitivity, no difference exists between the anti-host CTLs in patients with or without GVHD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Bank, Leiden University Hospital, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Liem
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: van Noort
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goulmy
mesh_terms: D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007938:Leukemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine