title: Immunological reconstitution after hematopoietic cell transplantation - its relation to the contents of the graft.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  After hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), there is a prolonged period of immune deficiency.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review the recovery of immunity after HCT, including how it is influenced by the cellular contents of the graft, and therapeutic implications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature review using Medline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Whereas innate immunity (e.g., epithelial barriers, phagocytes, natural killer cells) typically recovers within weeks post-transplant, the recovery of adaptive immunity takes longer, months for B cells and years for T cells. The recovery is influenced by the graft contents. For example the number of CD34 cells given with the graft affects the tempo of neutrophil recovery, and the number of CD4 T cells given with the graft affects CD4 T cell counts post-transplant. Improved understanding of the relationship between graft contents and immune reconstitution could lead to graft engineering improving transplant outcomes.
authors.affiliation: University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, HSC1869, Calgary, T2N 4N1, Canada. jstorek@ucalgary.ca
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Storek
mesh_terms: D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D015704:CD4 Antigens