The number of T cell allo-epitopes associates with CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell infiltration in pediatric cutaneous GVHD

Histopathologic and immunophenotypic features of cutaneous solid organ transplant-associated graft-vs-host disease: Comparison with acute hematopoietic cell transplant-associated graft-vs-host disease and cutaneous drug eruption

BACKGROUND

Although it is relatively common after hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT), graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) is a rare complication following solid organ transplantation (SOT).

METHODS

This study evaluated skin biopsy specimens from five cases of SOT GVHD, 15 cases of HCT GVHD, and 15 cases of cutaneous drug eruption. Immunohistochemical staining for CD3, CD4, CD8, T-bet, and GATA-3 was performed to examine the density and immune phenotype of skin-infiltrating lymphocytes.

RESULTS

Similar to HCT GVHD, the predominant histopathologic findings in skin biopsy specimens of SOT GVHD were widespread vacuolar interface dermatitis with scattered necrotic keratinocytes. However, the density of dermal inflammation was considerably higher in SOT GVHD. Features that were more predictive of a cutaneous drug eruption over GVHD included spongiosis, confluent parakeratosis, and many eosinophils. Involvement of the hair follicle epithelium was seen in all three disorders. Both forms of cutaneous GVHD showed a predominance of Th1 (CD3+/T-bet+) lymphocytes within the inflammatory infiltrates. This shift was more pronounced in SOT GVHD, particularly among intraepidermal T-cells.

CONCLUSIONS

SOT GVHD shares many histopathologic features with HCT GVHD. However, SOT GVHD has a greater tendency to develop brisk lichenoid inflammation.

Predicted indirectly recognizable HLA epitopes are not associated with clinical outcomes after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Haploidentical stem cell transplantation (haplo-SCT) provides an alternative method to cure patients with malignant and nonmalignant hematologic diseases who lack a human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matched related or unrelated donor. HLA disparity between donor and patient was the main reason causing lots of clinical immune response. The aim of this study was to investigate whether indirect recognition of mismatched HLA could predict the clinical outcomes in haplo-SCT. The probability of indirect recognition was predicted by the Predicted Indirectly ReCognizable HLA Epitopes (PIRCHE) model. 577 patients with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome receiving haplo-SCT were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into 4 quartiles according to PIRCHE-Ⅰ or PIRCHE-Ⅱ. Although the cumulative incidences of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were significantly different among the 4 PIRCHE-Ⅰgroups, with 20.4% for group 0-6, 40.5% for group >6-11, 26.1% for group >11-19 and 23.9% for group >19 (P = .007), PIRCHE-Ⅰ was not significantly associated with chronic GVHD in multivariate models (RR, 0.993; 95% CI, 0.858-1.149; P = .926). And no significant associations were observed between PIRCHE-Ⅰ or PIRCHE-Ⅱ and other clinical outcomes. In summary, PIRCHE did not correlate with clinical outcomes and could not predict haplo-SCT outcomes.