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Deciphering the effects of graft Tregs on chronic graft-versus-host disease: results from a prospective, multicenter study in patients with acute leukemia undergoing allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 57, pages 1042–1044 (2022)Cite this article

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Acute Graft versus Host Disease (aGvHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) may depend on known factors [1] such as: human leucocyte antigen (HLA) and/or sex mismatch, source of stem cell, disease stage at diagnosis, CMV match-risk and higher regulatory T cells (Tregs) graft content which seems to be correlated with onset and severity of aGvHD through protective effects both in related [2] and in unrelated donor [3] peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT).

On the contrary, the Tregs reduction seems to be associated with lower chronic GvHD (cGvHD) incidence [4, 5] in allogeneic PBSCT (allo-PBSCT). Of note, this correlation was demonstrated in PB at the time of cGvHD onset, while no evaluation has been performed on allo-graft content at the time of infusion so far. In our previous report focusing on aGvHD [6], we had already shown, by univariate analysis, how cumulative incidence (CI) rate of cGvHD does not correlate with higher graft Tregs (gTregs) content; however, a trend toward a positive association between gTregs and cGvHD incidence has emerged, thus suggesting a possible different impact on aGvHD and cGvHD (protective effect on grade II-IV aGvHD while favoring cGvHD).

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Data availability

The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, AOUC Policlinico, Bari, Italy

    Mario Delia, Paola Carluccio, Vito Pier Gagliardi, Anna Mestice, Immacolata Attolico, Francesco Albano & Pellegrino Musto

  2. Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, “Aldo Moro” University - School of Medicine, Bari, Italy

    Anna Mestice, Francesco Albano & Pellegrino Musto

  3. Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome, Italy

    Patrizia Chiusolo

  4. Hematology and BMT, AOU Policlinico “S Orsola Malpighi” IRCCS, Bologna, Italy

    Mario Arpinati

  5. Programma di Trapianto Emopoietico Metropolitano, Azienda Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele, Catania, Italy

    Giulio Antonio Milone

  6. Bone Marrow Transplantation, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano “Bianchi Melacrino Morelli”, Reggio, Calabria, Italy

    Massimo Martino

  7. Hematology and BMT Unit, Ospedale “S.G.Moscati”, Taranto, Italy

    Patrizio Mazza & Claudia Ingrosso

  8. Hematology and BMT, Presidio Ospedaliero “A. Businco”, Cagliari, Italy

    Adriana Vacca

  9. Centro Trapianti di midollo – UOC Ematologia, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano - Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

    Giorgia Saporiti

  10. Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, Ospedale “SS Biagio e Arrigo”, Alessandria, Italy

    Francesco Zallio

  11. Hematology and BMT, Ospedale “Perrino”, Brindisi, Italy

    Domenico Pastore

  12. Former Full Professor of Hematology, “Aldo Moro” University - School of Medicine, Bari, Italy

    Giorgina Specchia

Authors
  1. Mario Delia
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  2. Paola Carluccio
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  3. Vito Pier Gagliardi
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  4. Anna Mestice
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  5. Patrizia Chiusolo
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  6. Mario Arpinati
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  7. Giulio Antonio Milone
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  8. Massimo Martino
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  9. Patrizio Mazza
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  10. Claudia Ingrosso
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  11. Adriana Vacca
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  14. Immacolata Attolico
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  15. Domenico Pastore
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  16. Giorgina Specchia
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  17. Francesco Albano
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  18. Pellegrino Musto
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Contributions

MD designed the study, wrote the paper, compiled and analyzed the data. PC, VPG, PCh, MA, GAM, MM, PM, CI, AV, GSa, FZ, IA, DP collected data. AM performed flow cytometry. MD, GS and DP designed the original study. FA and PM approved the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mario Delia.

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Delia, M., Carluccio, P., Gagliardi, V.P. et al. Deciphering the effects of graft Tregs on chronic graft-versus-host disease: results from a prospective, multicenter study in patients with acute leukemia undergoing allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 57, 1042–1044 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-022-01676-9

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