title: T lymphocytes of recipient origin may contribute to the recovery of specific immune response toward viruses and fungi in children undergoing cord blood transplantation.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Pediatriche, Università Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Viale Golgi, 19, 27100 Pavia, Italy. d.montagna@smatteo.pv.it
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Montagna
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Locatelli
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moretta
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lisini
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Previderè
authors.forename: Pierangela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grignani
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: DeStefano
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giorgiani
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Montini
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pagani
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Comoli
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maccario
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D000939:Epitopes