Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a suppressive subset of CD4+ T lymphocytes implicated in the prevention of acute GVHD (aGVHD) after allo-SCT (ASCT). To determine whether increased frequency of Tregs with a skin-homing (cutaneous lymphocyte Ag, CLA+) or a gut-homing (α4β7+) phenotype is associated with reduced risk of skin or gut aGVHD, respectively, we quantified circulating CLA+ or α4β7+ on Tregs at the time of neutrophil engraftment in 43 patients undergoing ASCT. Increased CLA+ Tregs at engraftment was associated with the prevention of skin aGVHD (2.6 vs 1.7%; P=0.038 (no skin aGVHD vs skin aGVHD)), and increased frequencies of CLA+ and α4β7+ Tregs were negatively correlated with severity of skin aGVHD (odds ratio (OR), 0.67; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.46–0.98; P=0.041) or gut aGVHD (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88–0.99; P=0.031), respectively. This initial report suggests that Treg tissue-homing subsets help to regulate organ-specific risk and severity of aGVHD after human ASCT. These results need to be validated in a larger, multicenter cohort.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute grant K12 CA090625, the American Cancer Society–Institutional Research Grant (#IRG-58-009-48) and the Sartain–Lanier Family Foundation.
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Engelhardt, B., Jagasia, M., Savani, B. et al. Regulatory T cell expression of CLA or α4β7 and skin or gut acute GVHD outcomes. Bone Marrow Transplant 46, 436–442 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2010.127
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2010.127
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