Expression of the putatively regulatory T-cell marker FOXP3 by CD4(+)CD25+ T cells after pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
FOXP3 has been proposed to be critical for the regulatory function of CD4(+)CD25+ T cells and it has been reported that its expression correlates with protection from graft-versus-host-disease (GvHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Here, by monitoring 28 pediatric HSCT recipients, we found that the levels of FOXP3-mRNA expression in highly enriched CD4(+)CD25+ cells were identical to those in healthy controls irrespective of GvHD status. Moreover, FOXP3-mRNA was abundant in recently in vitro stimulated CD4(+)CD25+ cells that lacked regulatory function. Together these findings suggest that FOXP3-mRNA expression primarily reflects CD4(+)CD25+ cell frequency rather than defining the regulatory potential of CD4(+)CD25+ T cells and GvHD risk after HSCT.
St. Anna Children's Hospital, Children Cancer Research Institute, Kinderspitalgasse 6, A-1090 Wien, Austria.
Markus G
MG
Seidel
Ursula
U
Ernst
Dieter
D
Printz
Birgit
B
Juergens
Josefa
J
Pichler
Andishe
A
Attarbaschi
Gerhard
G
Fritsch
Helmut
H
Gadner
Andreas
A
Heitger
D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger