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Post-Transplant Events

Recovery of Vα24+ NKT cells after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 34, pages 595–602 (2004)Cite this article

Summary:

Human Vα24+ natural killer T (NKT) cells have an invariant T-cell receptor-α chain and are activated in a CD1d-restricted manner. Vα24+ NKT cells are thought to regulate immune responses and to play important roles in the induction of allograft tolerance. In this report, we analyzed the recovery of Vα24+ NKT cells after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and its correlation with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Patients who received a dose-reduced conditioning regimen, antithymocyte globulin- or CAMPATH-1H-containing conditioning regimen were excluded. NKT cells were reconstituted within 1 month after transplantation in peripheral blood stem cell transplantation recipients, while their numbers remained low for more than 1 year in bone marrow transplantation (BMT) recipients. The number of Vα24+ NKT cells in BMT recipients with acute GVHD was lower than that in patients without acute GVHD, and both the CD4+ and CD4− Vα24+ NKT subsets were significantly reduced. With regard to chronic GVHD, BMT recipients with extensive GVHD had significantly fewer Vα24+ NKT cells than other patients. Furthermore, the number of CD4+ Vα24+ NKT cells was also significantly reduced in patients with chronic extensive GVHD. Our results raise the possibility that the number of Vα24+ NKT cells could be related to the development of GVHD.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Eri Nagata for providing excellent technical assistance.

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Author notes

  1. H Hirai: Hisamaru Hirai died on August 23, 2003, during the preparation of this manuscript.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    K Haraguchi, T Takahashi, Y Kanda, S Ogawa, S Chiba & H Hirai

  2. Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Team, Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    K Haraguchi, K Hiruma, Y Tanaka & H Sakamaki

  3. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    K Haraguchi & O Miura

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  1. K Haraguchi
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  2. T Takahashi
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Correspondence to K Haraguchi.

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Haraguchi, K., Takahashi, T., Hiruma, K. et al. Recovery of Vα24+ NKT cells after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 34, 595–602 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1704582

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1704582

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