Repopulation of circulating T, B and NK lymphocytes following bone marrow and blood stem cell transplantation.
A variety of T, B and natural killer (NK) cell subsets defined by surface markers were analyzed by double immunofluorescence flow cytometry in the peripheral blood of patients following autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT, n = 14), autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT, n = 10) and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT, n = 6). Patients following ABMT were divided in 2 groups, those who did not received G-CSF post-transplant (ABMT, n = 6) and those who did (ABMT + G, n = 8). All patients following PBSCT or allo BMT received G-CSF. In all the groups prolonged significant decreases with respect to normal numbers were observed for the T CD3+, CD2+ and CD25+ subsets, more profound for the CD4+ subset but less for the CD8+ subset, especially following PBSCT (only decreased at 1 month). A significant expansion of the CD3+CD57+ and CD8+CD57+ phenotypes was noticed between 9 and 12 months following ABMT, the group of longer follow-up. Long-lasting expansion of the NK-like CD3+CD56+ and CD3+CD16+ subsets was also observed. The B CD19+ and CD20+ subsets had a significant overexpression from 4 months after ABMT, showing a normally balanced Igk+:Ig1+ ratio. Concordantly, the HLA-DR+ and HLA-DQ+ subsets showed significant increases. The NK CD56+ and CD16+ subsets had a faster recovery than the T or B subsets in all the groups. However, the CD3-CD56+, CD3-CD16+, CD16+CD56+, CD3-CD8+, and especially the CD3-CD57+, CD16+CD57+, and CD56+CD57+ subsets had a slower recovery than the global CD56+, CD16+, or CD57+ subsets. The biological and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Parrado
A
A
Hematology and Hemotherapy Service, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Andalousian Health Service, Seville, Spain.
Casares
S
S
Prieto
J
J
Carmona
M
M
Vaquero
A
A
Rodríguez-Fernández
J M
JM
D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000637:transplantation*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000737:chemistry / Q000637:transplantation*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000637:transplantation*
D006681:HLA-D Antigens; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2