CYTOKINE RECEPTOR GENE-EXPRESSION IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS DURING GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE AFTER ALLOGENEIC BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION

Interleukin-1 receptor type I (IL-IR), IL-2 receptor alpha subunit (IL -2R) and IL-6 receptor alpha subunit (IL-6R) mRNA expression in periph eral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in 17 patients who underwent allog eneic bone marrow transplantation (allo BMT) and 2 patients who underw ent autologous transplantation were analyzed using a semiquantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). There were s everal exceptions in some cases and IL-1R expression was found to vary in a rather wide range, however, the expression of IL-2R and IL-6R mR NA tended to increase during the development of graft-versus-host dise ase (GVHD). In particular, IL-2R mRNA expression was increased in four patients with GVHD and graft failure. In contrast, IL-2R and IL-6R mR NA expression was not increased in autologous (auto) BMT and auto peri pheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) patients. These finding s suggest that IL-2R and maybe IL-6R mRNA expression in PBMC play an i mportant role in the development of an allo response and GVHD. Therefo re, the analysis of cytokine receptor mRNA expression in PBMC after al lo BMT may provide important information concerning the immune respons e and the cytokine network system in marrow transplants.