Donor pretreatment with progenipoietin-1 is superior to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in preventing graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

The granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and Fit-3 receptor agonist progenipoietin-1 (ProGP-1) has potent effects on dendritic cell (DC) expansion and may be an alternative to G-CSF for the mobilization of stem cells for allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). We studied the ability of stem cell grafts mobilized with this agent to induce graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) to minor and major histocompatibility antigens in the well-described B6 --> B6D2F1 SCT model. ProGP-1, G-CSIF, or control diluent was administered to donor B6 mice. ProGP-1 expanded all cell lineages in the spleen, and unseparated splenocytes from these animals produced large amounts of interleukin 10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) whereas the expression of T-cell adhesion molecules was diminished. Transplantation survival was 0%, 50%, and 90% in recipients of control-, G-CSF-, and ProGP-1-treated allogeneic donor splenocytes, respectively (P < .0001). Donor pretreatment with ProGP-1 allowed a 4-fold escalation in T-cell dose over that possible with G-CSF. Donor CD4 T cells from allogeneic SCT recipients of ProGP-1 splenocytes demonstrated an anergic response to host antigen, and cytokine production (interferon gamma [IFNγ], IL-4, and IL-10) was also reduced while CD8 T-cell cytotoxicity to host antigens remained intact. Neither CD11c(hi) DCs nor CD11c(dim)/B220(hi) DCs from ProGP-1-treated animals conferred protection from GVHD when added to control spleen. Conversely, when equal numbers of purified T cells from control-, G-CSF-, or ProGP-1-treated allogeneic donors were added to allogeneic T-cell-depleted control spleen, survival at day 60 was 0%, 15%, and 90%, respectively (P < .0001). The improved survival in recipients of ProGP-1 T cells was associated with reductions in systemic tumor necrosis factor alpha generation and GVHD of the gastrointestinal tract. We conclude that donor pretreatment with ProGP-1 is superior to G-CSIF for the prevention of GVHD after allogeneic SCT, primarily due to incremental affects on T-cell phenotype and function

Patient and graft survival after liver transplantation for hereditary hemochromatosis: Implications for pathogenesis

The clinical outcome of patients who have undergone liver transplantation for hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) or who have received iron-loaded donor grafts is unclear. We reviewed 3,600 adult primary orthotopic liver transplants and assessed the outcomes in 22 patients with HH. We also evaluated graft function and iron mobilization in 12 recipients of iron-loaded donor grafts. All 22 subjects who received liver transplants for HH were male; 13 had other risk factors for liver disease. HH patients had comparatively poor outcomes following transplantation: survival at 1, 3, and 5 years posttransplantation were 72%, 62%, and 55%, respectively. Recurrent hepatocellular cancer was the most common cause of death. There was no convincing evidence of reaccumulation of iron in the grafted liver in HH; however, 1 subject demonstrated increased serum ferritin concentration and grade 2 hepatic siderosis. Liver iron stores were slow to mobilize in 7 of the 12 recipients of iron-loaded grafts. These recipients had appropriate early graft function, but 2 patients with heavy iron loading and increased hepatic iron developed hepatic fibrosis. In conclusion. (1) HH is an uncommon indication for liver transplantation, and the majority of patients requiring transplantation had other risk factors for chronic liver disease; (2) reaccumulation of liver iron in HH patients is very unusual, but increased iron stores may be slow to mobilize in normal recipients of iron-loaded grafts, potentially compromising late graft function; (3) post-liver transplant survival is reduced in HH, and affected patients require careful clinical evaluation of perioperative and postoperative risk factors. Our data suggest that iron excess in HH does not wholly depend on intestinal iron absorption but is also influenced by liver factors that moderate iron metabolism.

Chronic graft-versus-host disease after granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized allogeneic stem cell transplantation: The role of donor T-cell dose and differentiation

The use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-mobilized peripheral blood as a source of stem cells has resulted in a high incidence of severe chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), which compromises the outcome of clinical allogeneic stem cell transplantation. We have studied the effect of G-CSF on both immune complex and fibrotic cGVHD directed to major (DBA/2 --> B6D2F1) or minor (B10.D2 --> BALB/c) histocompatibility antigens. In both models, donor pretreatment with G-CSF reduced cGVHD mortality in association with type 2 differentiation. However, after escalation of the donor T-cell dose, scleroderma occurred in 90% of the recipients of grafts from G-CSF-treated donors. In contrast, only 11% of the recipients of control grafts developed scleroderma, and the severity of hepatic cGVHD was also reduced. Mixing studies confirmed that in the presence of high donor T-cell doses, the severity of scleroderma was determined by the non-T-cell fraction of grafts from G-CSF-treated donors. These data confirm that the induction of cGVHD after donor treatment with G-CSF is dependent on the transfer of large numbers of donor T cells in conjunction with a putatively expanded myeloid lineage, providing a further rationale for the limitation of cell dose in allogeneic stem cell transplantation. (C) 2004 American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Human growth hormone presented by K14hGH-transgenic skin grafts induces a strong immune response but no graft rejection

Although immune responses leading to rejection of transplantable tumours have been well studied, requirements for epithelial tumour rejection are unclear. Here, we use human growth hormone (hGH) expressed in epithelial cells (skin keratinocytes) as a model neo-self antigen to investigate the consequences of antigen presentation from epithelial cells. Mice transgenic for hGH driven from the keratin 14 promoter express hGH in skin keratinocytes. This hGH-transgenic skin is not rejected by syngeneic non-transgenic recipients, although an antibody response to hGH develops in grafted animals. Systemic immunization of graft recipients with hGH peptides, or local administration of stimulatory anti-CD40 antibody, induces temporary macroscopic graft inflammation, and an obvious dermal infiltrate of inflammatory cells, but not graft rejection. These results suggest that a neo-self antigen expressed in somatic cells in skin can induce an immune response that can be enhanced further by induction of specific immunity systemically or non-specific immunity locally. However, immune responses do not always lead to rejection, despite induction of local inflammatory changes. Therefore, in vitro immune responses and in vivo delayed type hypersensitivity are not surrogate markers for immune responses effective against epithelial cells expressing neoantigens.

Vascular remodelling in the internal mammary artery graft and association with elevated endothelin-1 expression

Introduction: The vasoconstricting peptide Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, AAA, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. It is known to stimulate quiescent vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) into the growth cycle and has been linked to intimal thickening following endothelial injury and is associated with vessel wall remodelling in salt-sensitive hypertension models. Enhanced ET-1 expression has been reported in the internal mammary artery (IMA) and was markedly higher in patients undergoing cardiac bypass surgery who were diabetic and /or hypercholesterolemic. Aims: To firstly review the histopathology of the IMA and secondly, determine the relationship between ET-1 expression in this vessel and mitogenic activity in the medial VSMC. Methods: Vessel tissue collected at the time of CABG surgery was formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded for histological investigation. Cross sections of the left distal IMAwere stained with Alcian Blue/Verhoeff’s van Gieson to assess medial degeneration and identify the elastic lamellae and picrosirius red to determine the collagen content (specifically type I and type III). Immunohistochemistry staining was used to assess VSMC growth (PCNA label), tissue ET-1 expression, VSMC (SMCa-actin) area and macrophage/monocyte (anti-CD68) infiltration. Quantitative analysis was performed to measure the VSMC area in relation to ET-1 staining. Results: Fifty-five IMA specimens from the CABG patients (10F; 45M; mean age 65 years) were collected for this study. Fourteen donor IMAspecimens were used as controls (7F; 7M; mean age 45 years). Significant medial hypertrophy, VSMC disorganisation and elastic lamellae destruction was detected in the CABG IMA. The amount of Alcian blue staining in the CABG IMA was almost double that of the control (31.85+/14.52% Vs 17.10+/9.96%, P= .0006). Total collagen and type I collagen content was significantly increased compared with controls (65.8+/18.3% Vs 33.7 + / 13.7%, P= .07), (14.2 + /10.0% Vs 4.8 + /2.8%, P= .01), respectively. Tissue ET-1 and PCNA labelling were also significantly elevated the CABG IMA specimens relative to the controls (69.99 + /18.74%Vs 23.33 + /20.53%, P= .0001, and 37.29 + /12.88% Vs 11.06 + /8.18, P= .0001), respectively. There was mild presence of macrophages and monocytes in both CABG and control tissue. Conclusions: The IMA from CABG patients has elevated levels of type I collagen in the extracellular matrix indicative of fibrosis and was coupled with deleterious structural remodelling. Abnormally high levels of ET-1 were measured in the medial SMC layer and was associated with VSMC growth but not related to any chronic inflammatory response within the vessel wall.