title: Expression of α4β7 integrin on memory CD8(+) T cells at the presentation of acute intestinal GVHD.
abstract: Acute intestinal GVHD remains a major source of morbidity after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). α4β7 integrin is a cell surface molecule that mediates lymphocyte trafficking to intestinal tissue. In this analysis, peripheral blood was collected at the time of presentation of symptoms of acute GVHD and before any treatment. In all, 45 samples were collected and divided into three groups on the basis of subsequent evaluation: intestinal GVHD (n=15), skin GVHD (n=20) and no GVHD (n=10). Two patients developed intestinal GVHD after DLI. The no-GVHD group comprised 10 patients who presented with suspicious symptoms, but evaluation yielded other etiologies. Analysis by flow cytometry showed that intestinal GVHD patients had a significantly higher percentage of α4β7 integrin-expressing memory CD8(+) T cells (median 7.69%; lower and upper quartiles, 1.06% and 11.64%, respectively) compared with patients with skin GVHD (1.26%; 0.57% and 2.49%) and no GVHD (0.96%; 0.44% and 1.85%), P=0.03. No differences were found in α4β7 expression in any CD4(+) T-cell subsets or naive CD8(+) T cells. This study adds to the evidence that α4β7 integrin is involved in lymphocyte trafficking in acute intestinal GVHD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. ychen6@partners.org
authors.forename: Y-B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McDonough
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Illiano
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Attar
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Ballen
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: McAfee
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jagasia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Soiffer
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Spitzer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ritz
mesh_terms: D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D039441:Integrin alpha4 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D039641:Integrin beta Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D039641:Integrin beta Chains; C091368:integrin beta7; D039441:Integrin alpha4