Yiwen Ling

Nephrotic syndrome after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: etiology and pathogenesis

In this study we investigated the etiology and pathogenesis of nephrotic syndrome (NS) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in 257 patients with hematopoietic malignancies who survived more than 2 months post allo-HSCT. Associations of NS with the conditioning regimen, graft versus host disease (GVHD), and other variables were analyzed. Pathologic features of the kidney, regulatory T cells (Tregs), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were studied. NS was identified in 9 patients. The number of Tregs at day+30, 60, 90, and 180 was lower in NS patients than non-NS patients (P=0.001, 0.001, 0.007, 0.003). Serum levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α were higher in NS patients (P=0.032, 0.001, respectively). NS post allo-HSCT was associated with the occurrence of chronic GVHD (P=0.02). NS post-HSCT is an immune disorder that may involve immune complex deposition, Th1 cytokines, and Tregs.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor affects the distribution and clonality of TRGV and TRDV repertoire of T cells and graft-versus-host disease

BackgroundThe immune modulatory effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on T cells resulted in an unexpected low incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (allo-PBSCT). Recent data indicated that gamma delta+ T cells might participate in mediating graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, whether G-CSF could influence the T cell receptors (TCR) of gamma delta+ T cells (TRGV and TRDV repertoire) remains unclear. To further characterize this feature, we compared the distribution and clonality of TRGV and TRDV repertoire of T cells before and after G-CSF mobilization and investigated the association between the changes of TCR repertoire and GVHD in patients undergoing G-CSF mobilized allo-PBSCT.MethodsThe complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) sizes of three TRGV and eight TRDV subfamily genes were analyzed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 20 donors before and after G-CSF mobilization, using RT-PCR and genescan technique. To determine the expression levels of TRGV subfamily genes, we performed quantitative analysis of TRGV I~III subfamilies by real-time PCR.ResultsThe expression levels of three TRGV subfamilies were significantly decreased after G-CSF mobilization (P = 0.015, 0.009 and 0.006, respectively). The pattern of TRGV subfamily expression levels was TRGV II > TRGV I > TRGV III before mobilization, and changed to TRGV I > TRGV II > TRGV III after G-CSF mobilization. The expression frequencies of TRGV and TRDV subfamilies changed at different levels after G-CSF mobilization. Most TRGV and TRDV subfamilies revealed polyclonality from pre-G-CSF-mobilized and G-CSF-mobilized samples. Oligoclonality was detected in TRGV and TRDV subfamilies in 3 donors before mobilization and in another 4 donors after G-CSF mobilization, distributed in TRGV II, TRDV 1, TRDV 3 and TRDV 6, respectively. Significant positive association was observed between the invariable clonality of TRDV 1 gene repertoire after G-CSF mobilization and low incidence of GVHD in recipients (P = 0.015, OR = 0.047).ConclusionsG-CSF mobilization not only influences the distribution and expression levels of TRGV and TRDV repertoire, but also changes the clonality of gamma delta+ T cells. This alteration of TRGV and TRDV repertoire might play a role in mediating GVHD in G-CSF mobilized allo-PBSCT.

The effect of imatinib therapy on the outcome of allogeneic stem cell transplantation in adults with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Abstract Objective To evaluate the efficacy of imatinib administration before and/or after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL). Method Patients with imatinib therapy time exceeding 30 days pre-/post-transplant were screened in our data. Imatinib was used in induced or consolidated chemotherapy pre-transplant, or maintenance therapy after 60 days post-transplant (therapy time was less than 180 days) regardless of the molecular status of the disease. Results Sixty-nine patients with Ph+ ALL were enrolled in the retrospective analysis. Forty-four patients received imatinib therapy, including 24 pre-transplant, 9 post-transplant, and 11 both pre- and post-transplant. With a median follow-up time of 395 days (range, 55–2762 days) post-transplant, 3-year estimated overall survival was 62.3 ± 16.6, 40.0 ± 21.9, 41.7 ± 22.2, and 25.9 ± 11.4%, respectively (P = 0.221), and disease-free survival (DFS) was 53.6 ± 17.9, 20.0 ± 17.9, 33.3 ± 25.5% and 23.6 ± 11.4%, respectively (P = 0.421), in patients with imatinib therapy pre-transplant, post-transplant, both pre- and post-transplant, neither pre- nor post-transplant. The incidence of relapse at 3 year for patients with imatinib therapy post-transplant (n = 20) was 63.6%, comparing with 24.2% (P = 0.018) in patients without imatinib therapy post-transplant (n = 49). The ratio of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ cells in blood was significantly higher at 30 and 60 days after imatinib therapy than that at the time of pre-imatinib in 20 patients (P = 0.019 and 0.001, respectively). Conclusions Application of imatinib pre-transplant might have benefited for patients with Ph+ ALL. Whether administration of imatinib, regardless of the molecular status of the disease post-transplant increases relapse, is a worthy goal for further study.

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) load in cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood of patients with EBV‐associated central nervous system diseases after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic utility of monitoring the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) load in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood for the patients with EBV‐associated central nervous system (CNS) diseases after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT), 172 patients undergoing allo‐HSCT were enrolled in the study.