Immunocompetent T-cells with a memory-like phenotype are the dominant cell type following antibody-mediated T-cell depletion.
Journal Article
T-cell depletion facilitates reduced immunosuppression following organ transplantation and has been suggested to be pro-tolerant. However, the characteristics of post-depletional T cells have not been evaluated as they relate to tolerance induction. We therefore studied patients undergoing profound T-cell depletion with alemtuzumab or rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin following renal transplantation, evaluating the phenotype and functional characteristics of their residual cells. Naive T cells and T cells with potential regulatory function (CD4+CD25+) were not prevalent following aggressive depletion. Rather, post-depletion T cells were of a single phenotype (CD3+CD4+CD45RA-CD62L-CCR7-) consistent with depletion-resistant effector memory T cells that expanded in the first month and were uniquely prevalent at the time of rejection. These cells were resistant to steroids, deoxyspergualin or sirolimus in vitro, but were calcineurin-inhibitor sensitive. These data demonstrate that therapeutic depletion begets a limited population of functional memory-like T cells that are easily suppressed with certain immunosuppressants, but cannot be considered uniquely pro-tolerant.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Pearl, JP; Parris, J; Hale, DA; Hoffmann, SC; Bernstein, WB; McCoy, KL; Swanson, SJ; Mannon, RB; Roederer, M; Kirk, AD
Published Date
- March 2005
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 5 / 3
Start / End Page
- 465 - 474
PubMed ID
- 15707400
Pubmed Central ID
- 15707400
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 1600-6135
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2005.00759.x
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States