title: In situ detection of HY-specific T cells in acute graft-versus-host disease-affected male skin after sex-mismatched stem cell transplantation.
abstract: HY-specific T cells are presumed to play a role in acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after female-to-male stem cell transplantation (SCT). However, infiltrates of these T cells in aGVHD-affected tissues have not yet been reported. We evaluated the application of HLA-A2/HY dextramers for the in situ detection of HY-specific T cells in cryopreserved skin biopsy specimens. We applied the HLA-A2/HY dextramers on cryopreserved skin biopsy specimens from seven male HLA-A2(+) pediatric patients who underwent stem cell transplantation with confirmed aGVHD involving the skin. The dextramers demonstrated the presence of HY-specific T cells. In skin biopsy specimens of three male recipients of female grafts, 68% to 78% of all skin-infiltrating CD8(+) T cells were HY-specific, whereas these cells were absent in biopsy specimens collected from sex-matched patient-donor pairs. Although this study involved a small and heterogeneous patient group, our results strongly support the hypothesis that HY-specific T cells are actively involved in the pathophysiology of aGVHD after sex-mismatched stem cell transplantation.
authors: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors: Yeung-Hyen
authors: YH
authors: Kim
authors: Claudia M J M
authors: CM
authors: Faaij
authors: Astrid G S
authors: AG
authors: van Halteren
authors: Ellen
authors: E
authors: Schrama
authors: Trees A M
authors: TA
authors: de Jong
authors: Jørgen
authors: J
authors: Schøller
authors: R Maarten
authors: RM
authors: Egeler
authors: Stan
authors: S
authors: Pavel
authors: Florry A
authors: FA
authors: Vyth-Dreese
authors: Maarten J D
authors: MJ
authors: van Tol
authors: Els
authors: E
authors: Goulmy
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Spierings
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology