IL-4-producing CD8(+) T cells may be an immunological hallmark of chronic GVHD.
Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) occurs in approximately 60-80% of those who survive over 100 days after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). However, the pathophysiology of cGVHD is poorly understood. To gain more insight into the immunological mechanism of cGVHD, we examine cytokine production of peripheral blood T cells from 19 patients in the chronic phase of allo-HSCT. The percentage of IFN-gamma-producing CD8(+) T cells among CD8(+) T cells was significantly higher in patients with or without cGVHD than in normal control subjects (P<0.001). On the other hand, the percentage of IL-4-producing CD8(+) T cells among CD8(+) T cells was significantly higher in patients with cGVHD (mean 3.3%; range 1.3-8.2%) than in patients without cGVHD (mean 1.2%; range 0.8-1.7%) and normal control subjects (mean 1.1%; range 0.1-1.6%) (both P<0.001). By contrast, the percentage of IL-4-producing CD4(+) T cells was not different among patients with and without cGVHD and normal controls. These findings suggest that IL-4-producing CD8(+) T cells may be an immunological marker of cGVHD.
Nakamura
K
K
1st Department of Internal Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Moriguchi, Osaka, Japan.
Amakawa
R
R
Takebayashi
M
M
Son
Y
Y
Miyaji
M
M
Tajima
K
K
Nakai
K
K
Ito
T
T
Matsumoto
N
N
Zen
K
K
Kishimoto
Y
Y
Fukuhara
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000379:methods
D016207:Cytokines; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma