Predominant immature CD8alpha+ dendritic cells prevent graft-vs.-host disease but do not increase the risk of leukemia recurrence

Eur J Haematol. 2007 Mar;78(3):235-45. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0609.2006.00804.x. Epub 2007 Jan 23.

Abstract

Graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) remains the major limitation of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and stem cell transplantation, and leukemia recurrence is another important complication in leukemia treatment. Immature CD8alpha+ dendritic cells (DC) have good potential in GVHD treatment and immunological tolerance studies. To find a new way to prevent GVHD, not increasing the risk of leukemia recurrence, in this study, predominant CD8alpha+ immature DC were induced from murine bone marrow (BM) cells by 5 ng/mL granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) plus 20-ng/mL interleukin (IL)-4, 100-ng/mL stem cell factor (SCF) and 25-ng/mL Flt3L, and 97.09 of prepared DC were CD8alpha+ on day 3. These DC were identified as morphologically and phenotypically immature CD8alpha+ DC. The suppressive function was observed in vitro, and then in vivo on allo-BMT leukemia model. The prepared predominant immature CD8alpha+ DC were weak syngeneic lymphocyte stimulators and could suppress mixed leukocyte reaction in vitro. In vivo, they prevented the pathological changes of GVHD and prolonged the surviving time of allo-BMT leukemia mice. The effect showed a dose-effect relationship. 86.7% of allo-BMT plus 1 million predominant CD8alpha+ DC leukemia mice reached long-term survival. Although predominant immature CD8alpha+ DC had the function of GVHD suppression, they did not increase leukemia recurrence. The method and findings may have important potency for GVHD treatment in clinical application.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation
  • CD8 Antigens / immunology
  • CD8 Antigens / metabolism*
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Dendritic Cells / cytology*
  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism*
  • Graft vs Host Disease / immunology*
  • Graft vs Host Disease / pathology
  • Graft vs Host Disease / prevention & control*
  • Leukemia / immunology*
  • Leukemia / metabolism
  • Leukemia / pathology*
  • Leukemia / surgery
  • Mice
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Risk Factors
  • Secondary Prevention
  • Survival Rate
  • Transplantation, Homologous

Substances

  • CD8 Antigens
  • CD8alpha antigen