title: Blastogenic response of activated human umbilical cord blood T-lymphocytes.
abstract: Donor T-lymphocytes are thought to play a crucial role in both acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), pathological conditions that frequently complicate allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. These diseases are described as occurring with a lower incidence and lesser severity when human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) cells, which have recently emerged as a potential source of hematopoietic progenitors, are used for transplantation. This condition is probably related to the immaturity of neonatal HUCB T cells. Lymphocyte blastogenic response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), evaluated by means of flow cytometry, is a useful tool for testing the functional ability of T-cells to display an immune response against allo-antigens, reproducing in vitro the in vivo mechanism of activation. This study was designed to verify whether an impairment in HUCB T-cell ability to undergo an in vitro blastogenic response to mitogens could explain their reduced in vivo ability to induce GvHD.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Arena
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cascavilla
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carotenuto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2