Evaluation Of Donor Cd4(+)Cd25(+)Foxp3(+) Regulatory T Cells And Cd3-Cd56(+) Nk Cells On Immune Reconstitution After Allogenic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Background: It is important to determine the changes in both donor T cells and B cells on immune reconstitution following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). It is well-known that Treg cells play important roles in the prevention of T-cell-mediated graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and in promoting tumor escape from T-cell-dependent immunosurveillance. However, very little is known about the number and function of both CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells and CD3-CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells and about NK activity during immune reconstitution. In this study, we examined changes in the number of circulating Treg and NK cells in the peripheral blood (PB) and the NK activity of HCT patients at various times after HCT, and we evaluated the clinical significance of these findings relative to patient survival.