The development of autoantibodies after allogeneic stem cell transplantation is related with chronic graft-vs-host disease and immune recovery.
OBJECTIVE
Chronic graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) has certain similarities with autoimmune diseases and is associated with the development of various autoantibodies in some patients. In this study, we analyzed the occurrence of autoantibodies in 63 patients surviving longer than 3 months after an allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), with the aim of detecting a possible association between occurrence of autoantibodies and development of chronic GVHD and immune recovery after HSCT.


METHODS
The patients were screened every 3 months for the occurrence of the following autoantibodies: anti-nuclear (ANA), anti-mitochondrial (AMA), anti-smooth muscle (ASMA), anti-cardiolipin (ACLA), anti-liver-kidney microsomal (LKM), anti-DNA, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmatic (ANCA), and anti-thyroid antibodies. Peripheral blood immunophenotyping with anti-CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD20, CD16, and CD56 antibodies was evaluated at the same intervals.


RESULTS
Autoantibodies were not found in 18 patients (29%), at least in one screening in 29 patients (46%), and in all screenings in 16 patients (25%). ANA were found in 41 patients (65%), AMA in 4 (6%), ASMA in 4 (6%), ANCA in 7 (11%), ACLA in 1 (2%), anti-thyroid antibodies in 3 (5%), and anti-DNA in 2 (3%). More than one antibody occurred in 16/63 (25%) positive patients. ANA was significantly more frequent in patients with chronic GVHD and, among these, in those with the extensive form. The nucleolar pattern of immunofluorescence of ANA but not its titer was correlated with the extension of chronic GVHD. Patients who developed autoantibodies had higher CD20(+) cell blood counts than negative patients in the third month (p=0.006), ninth month (p=0.061), and twelfth month (p=0.043).


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that patients with chronic GVHD, particularly those with an extensive involvement, were likely to develop autoantibodies and have a faster B-cell recovery, suggesting a role of B cells in the pathogenesis of chronic GVHD.
Division of Haematology and Blood and Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit "Carlo Melzi," Department of Clinical and Morphological Research, Udine, Italy. francesca.patriarca@med.uniud.it
Francesca
F
Patriarca
Cristina
C
Skert
Alessandra
A
Sperotto
Francesco
F
Zaja
Edmondo
E
Falleti
Rosalba
R
Mestroni
Francesca
F
Kikic
Elisabetta
E
Calistri
Carla
C
Filì
Antonella
A
Geromin
Michela
M
Cerno
Renato
R
Fanin
D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation
D001323:Autoantibodies