title: Cytokine expression during acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic peripheral stem cell transplantation.
abstract: Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is one of the major problems following allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (allo-PBSCT). In order to investigate the pathogenesis of human aGVHD, we analyzed cytokine gene expression and cytokine secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in 30 patients who underwent allo-PBSCT. In this study, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to explore the mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-2, interferon (IFN)-gamma, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-12 in the PBMC of allo-PBSCT patients with aGVHD and in controls. The concentrations of these cytokines and of IL-18 were also measured by means of ELISA in medium obtained from cultured leukocytes after stimulation with PHA or LPS. Compared with the normal allo-PBSCT group (n=14), IL-2 and IFN-gamma were detected more frequently in aGVHD group (n=16). IL-12 and IL-18 were elevated, while IL-10 level decreased in the same group. There is no difference in IL-4 gene expression between patients with or without aGVHD, but the concentration of IL-4 for patients with grade II-IV aGVHD decreased. These data suggest that IL-2, IFN-gamma, IL-12 and IL-18 play important roles in the development of aGVHD in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, China. xubin@smmu.edu.cn
authors.forename: X P
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Z P
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: S Q
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Z X
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D007378:Interleukins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036102:Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D020382:Interleukin-18; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007378:Interleukins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma