FOXP3 mRNA expression analysis in the peripheral blood and allograft of heart transplant patients.
Previously, we demonstrated in heart transplant patients that FOXP3, a gene required for the development and function of regulatory T cells, was highly expressed in the graft during an acute cellular rejection. In this study, we analyzed whether the FOXP3 gene expression in the peripheral blood also reflects anti-donor immune responses, and therefore may provide clues for non-invasive detection of non-responsiveness or acute rejection. We examined the FOXP3 expression patterns of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC; n=69) of 19 heart transplant patients during quiescence and rejection in comparison with those of endomyocardial biopsies (EMB; n=75) of 24 heart transplant patients. While the FOXP3 mRNA levels were abundantly expressed in rejecting EMB (ISHLT rejection grade>1R) compared with EMB without histological evidence of myocardial damage (ISHLT rejection grade 0R-1R; p=0.003), no association with rejection or non-responsiveness was found for the FOXP3 mRNA levels in the peripheral blood. Thus, in contrast to intragraft FOXP3 gene expression, the peripheral FOXP3 mRNA levels lack correlation with anti-donor immune responses in the graft, and, consequently, FOXP3 does not appear to be a potential candidate gene for non-invasive diagnosis of non-responsiveness or rejection.
Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands. i.dijke@erasmusmc.nl
I Esmé
IE
Dijke
Kadir
K
Caliskan
Sander S
SS
Korevaar
Alex P W M
AP
Maat
Pieter E
PE
Zondervan
Aggie H M M
AH
Balk
Willem
W
Weimar
Carla C
CC
Baan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000276:immunology; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics
C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger