title: Impact of Pre-Transplant Anti-T Cell Globulin (ATG) on Immune Recovery after Myeloablative Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pre-transplant infusion of rabbit anti-T cell globulin (ATG) is increasingly used as prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). However, the precise impact of pre-transplant ATG on immune recovery after PBSCT is still poorly documented.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the current study, we compared immune recovery after myeloablative PBSCT in 65 patients who either received (n = 37) or did not (n = 28) pre-transplant ATG-Fresenius (ATG-F). Detailed phenotypes of circulating T, B, natural killer (NK) and invariant NKT (iNKT) cells were analyzed by multicolor flow cytometry at serial time-points from day 40 to day 365 after transplantation. Thymic function was also assessed by sjTREC quantification. Serious infectious events were collected up to 2 years post-transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pre-transplant ATG-F had a prolonged (for at least up to 1-year) and selective negative impact on the T-cell pool, while it did not impair the recovery of B, NK nor iNKT cells. Among T cells, ATG-F selectively compromised the recovery of naïve CD4+, central memory CD4+ and naïve CD8+ cells, while it spared effector memory T and regulatory T cells. Levels of sjTRECs were similar in both cohorts at 1-year after PBSCT, suggesting that ATG-F unlikely impaired thymopoiesis at long-term after PBSCT. Finally, the incidence and rate of serious infections were similar in both groups, while ATG-F patients had a lower incidence of grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pre-transplant ATG-F induces long-lasting modulation of the circulating T-cell pool after myeloablative PBSCT, that may participate in preventing graft-versus-host disease without deeply compromising anti-pathogen defenses.
authors.affiliation: Hematology Research Unit, GIGA-I3, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium; Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, Department of Clinical Hematology, CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Servais
authors.affiliation: Hematology Research Unit, GIGA-I3, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Menten-Dedoyart
authors.affiliation: Hematology Research Unit, GIGA-I3, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium; Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, Department of Clinical Hematology, CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Beguin
authors.affiliation: Department of biostatistics, SIMÉ, CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Seidel
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gothot
authors.affiliation: Hematology Research Unit, GIGA-I3, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Coline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Daulne
authors.affiliation: Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, Department of Clinical Hematology, CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Evelyne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Willems
authors.affiliation: Hematology Research Unit, GIGA-I3, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Loïc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Delens
authors.affiliation: Hematology Research Unit, GIGA-I3, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Humblet-Baron
authors.affiliation: Hematology Research Unit, GIGA-I3, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hannon
authors.affiliation: Hematology Research Unit, GIGA-I3, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium; Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, Department of Clinical Hematology, CHU of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baron
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005916:Globulins / Q000276:immunology*; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D042381:Granulocyte Precursor Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036102:Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005916:Globulins