[HTML][HTML] Long-term immune reconstitution and T cell repertoire analysis after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in systemic sclerosis patients

D Farge, LCM Arruda, F Brigant, E Clave… - Journal of Hematology & …, 2017 - Springer
D Farge, LCM Arruda, F Brigant, E Clave, C Douay, Z Marjanovic, C Deligny, G Maki…
Journal of Hematology & Oncology, 2017Springer
The determinants of clinical responses after autologous hematopoietic stem cell
transplantation (aHSCT) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) are still unraveled. We analyzed long-
term immune reconstitution (IR) and T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire diversity in 10 SSc
patients, with at least 6 years simultaneous clinical and immunological follow-up after
aHSCT. Patients were retrospectively classified as long-term responders (A, n= 5) or non-
responders (B, n= 5), using modified Rodnan's skin score (mRSS) and forced vital capacity …
Abstract
The determinants of clinical responses after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) are still unraveled. We analyzed long-term immune reconstitution (IR) and T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire diversity in 10 SSc patients, with at least 6 years simultaneous clinical and immunological follow-up after aHSCT. Patients were retrospectively classified as long-term responders (A, n = 5) or non-responders (B, n = 5), using modified Rodnan’s skin score (mRSS) and forced vital capacity (FVC%). All patients had similar severe SSc before aHSCT. Number of reinjected CD34+ cells was higher in group B versus A (P = 0.02). Long-term mRSS fall >25% was more pronounced in group A (P = 0.004), the only to improve long-term FVC% >10% (P = 0.026). There was an overall trend toward increased of T cell reconstitution in group B versus A. B cells had a positive linear regression slope in group A (LRS = 11.1) and negative in group B (LRS = −11.6). TCR repertoire was disturbed before aHSCT and the percentage of polyclonal families significantly increased at long-term (P = 0.046), with no difference between groups. Despite improved skin score after aHSCT in all SSc patients, pretransplant B cell clonal expansion and faster post-transplant T cell IR in long-term non-responder/relapsing patients call for new therapeutic protocols guided by IR analysis to improve their outcome.
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