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Published on: April 19, 2017
CD127(low) expression in CD4+CD25(high) T cells as immune biomarker of renal function in transplant patients
Rebeca Alonso-Arias1, Beatriz Suárez-Alvarez, Antonio López-Vázquez
1Histocompatibility Unit, Immunology Department, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain.
Insights
Monitoring CD127 expression on T cells, specifically the CD127(low) subset, can predict kidney transplant outcomes. This noninvasive method helps assess graft function and identify patients at risk of renal failure.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Transplantation Science
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Noninvasive cellular immunity tests aid in predicting transplant risks and allograft dysfunction.
- CD25 is a known activation marker, while CD127 shows potential in distinguishing regulatory from activated T cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of CD127 expression on CD4+ T cells as a biomarker for renal transplant outcomes.
- To differentiate between regulatory and activated T cell subsets in transplant patients.
Main Methods:
- Flow cytometry was used to analyze CD127 expression in CD4+CD25 T cells from 62 renal transplant patients and 30 healthy controls.
- Patients were categorized based on stable graft function or renal failure.
- In vitro allogeneic stimulation was performed to assess CD127 subset responses.
Main Results:
- Renal transplant patients exhibited higher CD127(high) and lower CD127(low) frequencies than controls.
- Both CD127(high) and CD127(low) frequencies correlated with serum creatinine levels.
- A higher frequency of CD127(low) cells, predominantly FoxP3 negative, was associated with renal failure and predicted poorer graft outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Quantification of the CD127(low) subset in CD4+ T cells is a valuable noninvasive tool for monitoring renal transplant patient outcomes.
- Combined markers CD127/CD25/CD45RO aid in assessing graft status and predicting complications.
Background:
Noninvasive tests measuring cellular immunity could help predict immunologic risk and subsequent allograft dysfunction in transplant patients. CD25 is a promising marker of activation. Recent descriptions of CD127 expression as a discriminating factor between regulatory and activated T cells suggest its potential utility.
Methods:
Expression of CD127 in CD4+CD25 T cells was analyzed by flow cytometry in peripheral blood from 62 renal transplanted patients and 30 healthy controls. Forty patients presented stable graft function and 22 suffered renal failure.
Results:
Renal transplant patients showed higher levels of CD127(high) and a lower frequency of CD127(low) than healthy controls (0.63% vs. 0.29% [P<0.001] and 1.4% vs. 2.4% [P<0.001], respectively). However, high frequencies of not only CD127(high) but also CD127(low) showed a significant correlation with serum creatinine levels (P=0.012 and P=0.003, respectively). Allogenic stimulation in vitro increased the frequency of CD127(low) subset in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, in patients with a high frequency of CD127(low) subset, this consisted mostly of FoxP3 negative cells, discarding their regulatory origin. Median frequency of CD127(low), but not CD127(high), cells showed significant differences between patients with stable function and with renal failure (P<0.005), with 16.7% and 53.1% of individuals above the median CD127(low) value (1.4%), respectively.
Conclusion:
Quantification of CD127(low) subset through staining of CD4+ T cells with the combined markers CD127/CD25/CD45RO has been demonstrated to be a significant tool for monitoring the outcome course of renal transplant patients.
