[A study on the relations of soluble interleukin-2 receptor and CD+25 cell with acute graft-versus-host disease]

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is one of the major complications after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Prediction of human aGVHD may be of help in its diagnosis and therapy.

22 patients undergoing HSCT were included in this study. After transplantation, serum concentrations of interleukin-6, interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma and sIL-2R were measured periodically by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immune reconstitution of CD(+)(3), CD(+)(4), CD(+)(8), CD(+)(25) and CD(+)(69) cells were analyzed with flow cytometry.

All the patients achieved engraftment. 6 patients developed grade I GVHD and 4 patients developed grade III-IV GVHD. Patients with aGVHD demonstrated significantly higher sIL-2R levels than those without. The peak levels of grade III-IV GVHD were (420.3 +/- 59.8) U/L,and the peak levels of grade I GVHD were (221.5 +/- 38.8) U/L. The increase of sIL-2R level in serum preceded the clinical signs of aGVHD. The maximum levels of sIL-2R correlated significantly with the severity of aGVHD. The increase of CD(+)(25) cells was in accordance with that of sIL-2R.

Analysis of serum cytokines and immune reconstitution after HSCT may provide predictive value for aGVHD.