Antigen-Specific T-Lymphocyte Function After Cord Blood Transplantation

Publication Type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2006
Authors
Cohen, G; Carter, S; Weinberg, K; Masinsin, B; Guinan, E; Kurtzberg, J; Wagner, J; Kernan, N; Parkman, R
Secondary
Biol Blood Marrow Transplant
Volume
12
Start Page
1335
Pagination
1335-1342
Date Published
12/2006
Keywords
Adolescent; Antibodies- Viral; Cell Lineage; Child; Clinical trials; Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; Cytomegalovirus; False Negative Reactions; Female; Fetal Blood; Graft vs Host Disease; Herpes Simplex / Zoster; Herpesvirus 3- Human; Infant
Abstract
It has not been possible to determine the singular contribution of naive T lymphocytes to antigen-specific immunity after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), because of the confounding effects of donor-derived antigen-specific T lymphocytes present in most hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) products. Because umbilical cord blood contains only naive T lymphocytes, we longitudinally evaluated the recipients of unrelated cord blood transplantation (UCBT) for the presence of T lymphocytes with specificity for herpesviruses, to determine the contribution of the naive T lymphocytes to antigen-specific immune reconstitution after HSCT. Antigen-specific T lymphocytes were detected early after UCBT (herpes simplex virus on day 29; cytomegalovirus on day 44; varicella zoster virus on day 94). Overall, 66 of 153 UCBT recipients developed antigen-specific T lymphocytes to 1 or more herpesviruses during the evaluation period. The likelihood of developing antigen-specific T lymphocyte function was not associated with immunophenotypic T lymphocyte reconstitution, transplant cell dose, primary disease, or acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease. These results indicate that naive T lymphocytes present in the HSC inoculum can contribute to the generation of antigen-specific T-lymphocyte immunity early after transplantation.
URL
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17162216