title: Reduced plasma levels of soluble interleukin-7 receptor during graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in children and adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interleukin 7 (IL-7) signals via the IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) and drives homeostatic T-cell proliferation in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We performed a prospective study in adults (n = 33) and children (n = 29) undergoing aHSCT measuring plasma IL-7 and soluble IL-7R (sIL-7R) concentrations between 1 and 12 months after HSCT in order to investigate the link between sIL-7R and clinical events after aHSCT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  sIL-7R, but not IL-7, increased with time after HSCT in plasma from all patients enrolled in the study. sIL-7R values were higher at 2, 3, and 6 months (p < 0.01) if the donor was a sibling as compared to an unrelated donor. Increased sIL-7R levels were also identified in plasma from patients who were not treated with anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG). Low sIL-7R was associated with any grade of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) at 2 and 6 months (p = 0.02) and with a positive CMV PCR at 2 months after HSCT (p < 0.05). Patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation had increased IL-7 values at 2 and 3 months (p = 0.02) after HSCT. In multivariate analysis, lower sIL-7R levels were associated with acute GVHD (relative hazard (RH): 0.70, p > 0.01) and sibling donors (RH: 2.23, p = 0.004). Recipients of sibling grafts showed high levels of IL-7 (RH: 1.38, p < 0.05) and bone marrow recipients had low IL-7 levels (RH: 0.73, p = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measurement of the sIL-7R/IL-7 axis will help in guided immune monitoring after HSCT and guided interference with sIL-7R may be explored in GVHD management.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Poiret
authors.forename: Lalit
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rane
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Remberger
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Omazic
authors.forename: Asa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gustafsson-Jernberg
authors.forename: Nalini Kumar
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Vudattu
authors.forename: Raija
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Ingemar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ernberg
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Winiarski
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Magalhaes
authors.forename: Olle
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ringden
authors.affiliation: Division of Therapeutic Immunology, Labmed, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. markus.maeurer@ki.se.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maeurer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7 / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015851:Interleukin-7; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7