HLA-DP genotyping in HLA-A,B, and DR identical intrafamilial bone marrow transplantation.

In a study carried out for patients receiving intrafamilial HLA-A,B,DR identical, MLC negative bone marrow transplants, RFLP profiles of HLA-class II for 27 donor recipient pairs were analyzed. Twenty-four pairs were found HLA-class II identical while three pairs were HLA-DP incompatible. The patients of these three pairs did not reveal any acute GVHD greater than or equal to grade II.

Phenotype and function of T lymphocytes infiltrating the skin during graft-versus-host disease following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Seven lymphocyte populations were expanded from skin samples of patients with acute or chronic GVHD following allogeneic genotypically identical BMT. After amplification without in vitro antigenic stimulation or addition of mitogens, 5 of the 7 cell lines showed a large majority of mature CD4+ T cells (in contrast to published immunopathological data). One cell line showed an equal number of CD4+ and CD8+ cells, and another a predominance of CD4+ cells along with a large number of cells with a phenotype suggestive of non-MHC-restricted CTLs.

Role of immunosuppressive drugs for prevention of graft-v-host disease after bone marrow transplantation.

In a series of 198 patients we compared various methods of prevention of GVHD. One hundred and thirty-three patients were treated with CSA alone, 44 with the combination of CSA and MTX, and 21 with CSA after marrow T cell depletion. The incidence of GVHD greater than or equal to II was 35% in the CSA group, 22% in the CSA+MTX group and 14% in the T depleted group.