title: The important balance between cytokines derived from type 1 and type 2 helper T cells in the control of graft-versus-host disease.
abstract: We have investigated cytokine mRNA expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 20 patients who received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants to assess the cytokine network after transplantation. IL-4 mRNA expression decreased in five of five (100%) patients with > or = grade III (severe) acute GVHD and increased in 10 of 22 (45%) patients without severe GVHD. In contrast, IL-12 mRNA expression increased in two of two (100%) patients with severe GVHD, but increased in only six of 18 (33%) patients without severe GVHD. Furthermore, IL-10 and/or IL-13 mRNA expression increased in 19 of 22 (86%) patients without severe GVHD, but increased in only one of three (33%) patients with severe GVHD. In patients with allogeneic PBSCT who had severe acute GVHD, the cytokine mRNA expression in patients with allogeneic PBSCT, who had no severe GVHD, showed a similar pattern to that in patients with allogeneic BMT. IL-4 mRNA expression increased in three of five (60%) patients and IL-10 and/or IL-13 mRNA expression increased in five of five (100%) patients. In contrast, IL-12 mRNA expression increased in only one of three (33%) patients. Serum IL-4 concentration in allogeneic PBSCT patients in the early engraftment phase was relatively high, while serum IL-12 concentration was low. These findings suggest that severe GVHD may be related to the cytokine imbalance between type 1 helper T (Th1) cells and type 2 helper T (Th2) cells.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hashino
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakurada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000754:Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger