Patterns of T-cell reconstitution by assessment of T-cell receptor excision circle and T-cell receptor clonal repertoire after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in leukemia patients--a study in Chinese patients.
OBJECTIVE
Successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) requires reconstitution normal T-cell immunity. Measurement of T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) and T-cell receptor beta (TCRBV) CDR3 repertoire is a means of quantifying recent thymic T-cell production and reflecting antigen-specific T-cell clones proliferation.


METHODS
We used real-time quantitative PCR to detect TRECs from 43 Chinese patients who underwent three kind of allo-HSCT without T-cell depletion. RT-PCR was performed to amplify 24 subfamily genes of TCRBV in 24 patients of them.


RESULTS
For haploidentical-D group, the TRECs numbers were lower up to 24 months. For matched-sibling donor (MSD) group, the recovery of TRECs was faster than those of other two groups. TRECs values in matched-unrelated donor (MUD) were in the middle. During 2-19 months after transplantation, there were 6-16 BV subfamilies expressed and 33-48% of them were polyclones. The usage rate of TCRBV and percentage of polyclones in haploidentical-D were less than those of other two groups. Twenty-three CDR3 molecules were obtained from nine patients who were potentially associated with GVHD or CMV infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Analyzing the changes of TCRBV repertoire and measuring TRECs during immune reconstitution would be useful to determine the host's current immune status and ability of T-cell immune reconstitution and also to find antigen-specific T-cell clones in the three kinds of HSCT.
Fu
Yue Wen
YW
Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
Wu
De Pei
DP
Cen
Jian Nong
JN
Feng
Yu Feng
YF
Chang
Wei Rong
WR
Zhu
Zi Ling
ZL
Qiu
Qiao Chen
QC
Zhu
Ping
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006262:Health; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell