All issues > Volume 51(12); 2008

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2008;51(12):1336-1341. Published online December 15, 2008.

Distribution of CD4＋CD25＋ T cells and graft-versus-host disease in human hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Dae Hyoung DH Lee¹, Nak Gyun NG Chung², Dae Chul DC Jeong², Bin B Cho², Hack Ki HK Kim²

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Bin B Cho ,Email: chobinkr@catholic.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: This study aimed to determine the frequencies of CD4＋CD25＋ T cells in donor graft and peripheral blood CD4＋CD25＋ T cells in recipients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and their association with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).
Methods
: Seventeen children who underwent HSCT were investigated. CD4＋CD25＋ T cells in samples from donor grafts and recipient peripheral blood were assessed by flow cytometry at 1 and 3 months after transplantation.
Results
: CD4＋CD25＋ T cell frequencies in the grafts showed no significant difference between patients with and without acute GVHD (0.90% vs. 1.06%, P=0.62). Absolute CD4＋CD25＋ T cell number in grafts were lower in patients with acute GVHD than in those without acute GVHD (6.18×105/kg vs. 25.85×105/kg, P=0.09). Patients without acute GVHD showed a significant decrease in peripheral blood CD4＋CD25＋ T cell percentage at 3 months compared to those at 1 month after HSCT (2.11% vs. 1.43%, P=0.028). However, in patients with acute GVHD, CD4＋CD25＋ T cell percentage at 3 months was not different from the corresponding percentage at 1 month after HSCT (2.47% vs. 2.30%, P=0.5).
Conclusion
: The effect of frequencies of CD4＋CD25＋ T cells in donor grafts on acute GVHD after HSCT could not be identified, and the majority of peripheral blood CD4＋CD25＋ T cells in patients who underwent HSCT may be activated T cells related to acute GVHD rather than regulatory T cells. Further studies with additional markers for regulatory T cells are needed to validate our results.

Keywords :Regulatory T cell, Graft-versus-fost Disease, Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation