[HTML][HTML] In vitro Th17-polarized human CD4+ T cells exacerbate xenogeneic graft-versus-host disease

L Delens, G Ehx, J Somja, L Vrancken, L Belle… - Biology of Blood and …, 2019 - Elsevier
L Delens, G Ehx, J Somja, L Vrancken, L Belle, L Seidel, C Grégoire, G Fransolet, C Ritacco…
Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, 2019Elsevier
Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a severe complication of allogeneic
hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The role of Th17 cells in its pathophysiology
remains a matter of debate. In this study, we assessed whether enrichment of human
peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with in vitro Th17-polarized CD4+ T cells
would exacerbate xenogeneic GVHD (xGVHD) into NOD-scid IL-2Rγ null (NSG) mice. Naive
human CD4+ T cells were stimulated under Th17-skewing conditions for 8 to 10 days and …
Abstract
Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a severe complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The role of Th17 cells in its pathophysiology remains a matter of debate. In this study, we assessed whether enrichment of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with in vitro Th17-polarized CD4+ T cells would exacerbate xenogeneic GVHD (xGVHD) into NOD-scid IL-2Rγ null (NSG) mice. Naive human CD4+ T cells were stimulated under Th17-skewing conditions for 8 to 10 days and then coinjected in NSG mice with fresh PBMCs from the same donor. We observed that Th17-polarized cells engrafted and migrated toward xGVHD target organs. They also acquired a double-expressing IL-17A+IFNγ+ profile in vivo. Importantly, cotransfer of Th17-polarized cells (1 × 106) with PBMCs (1 × 106) exacerbated xGVHD compared with transplantation of PBMCs alone (2 × 106). Furthermore, PBMC cotransfer with Th17-polarized cells was more potent for xGVHD induction than cotransfer with naive CD4+ T cells stimulated in nonpolarizing conditions (Th0 cells, 1 × 106 + 1 × 106 PBMCs) or with Th1-polarized cells (1 × 106 + 1 × 106 PBMCs). In summary, our results suggest that human Th17-polarized cells can cooperate with PBMCs and be pathogenic in the NSG xGVHD model.
Elsevier