T lymphocytes of recipient origin may contribute to the recovery of specific immune response toward viruses and fungi in children undergoing cord blood transplantation.
Patients undergoing allogeneic cord blood transplantation (CBT) benefit from a low risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), but there are still concerns that they be able to recover an effective immune capacity early after transplantation. We investigated the ability to develop in vitro T-lymphocyte-mediated immune response toward human cytomegalovirus and Candida albicans antigens, early and late after transplantation, in children given cord blood transplants from either an HLA-identical sibling or an unrelated donor. Proliferative capacity and frequency of antigen-specific T cells were evaluated; antigen-specific CD4(+) T-cell clones were also generated and characterized for T-cell receptor repertoire diversity, cytokine phenotype, and their origin (either from donor or patient). We found that the majority of recipients can develop a specific response to viral or fungal antigens already early after transplantation. Antigen-specific T-cell clones of both donor and recipient origin contributed to the reconstitution of immune response. Antigen-specific T lymphocytes of recipient origin were detected in patients receiving a transplant from a relative, after a chemotherapy-based conditioning regimen, and who did not have GVHD. Our results document, at a clonal level, that after CBT recovery of either polyclonal or pauciclonal T-cell response toward widespread pathogens is prompt, with some patients benefiting from a contribution of recipient-derived cells.
Montagna
Daniela
D
Dipartimento di Scienze Pediatriche, Università Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Viale Golgi, 19, 27100 Pavia, Italy. d.montagna@smatteo.pv.it
Locatelli
Franco
F
Moretta
Antonia
A
Lisini
Daniela
D
Previderè
Carlo
C
Grignani
Pierangela
P
DeStefano
Piero
P
Giorgiani
Giovanna
G
Montini
Enrica
E
Pagani
Sara
S
Comoli
Patrizia
P
Maccario
Rita
R
D000293:Adolescent; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000276:immunology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D036101:Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018183:Transplantation Chimera / Q000276:immunology
D016207:Cytokines; D000939:Epitopes