MARKED INCREASE OF CD8(-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE AFTER ALLOGENEIC BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION()S6F1(+) AND DC8(+)CD57(+) CELLS IN PATIENTS WITH GRAFT)

Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from 24 allogeneic bone marrow tran splant (BMT) recipients were studied serially using flow cytometry and two-color analysis. Dual labelling with two monoclonal antibodies (mo Abs), CD8/S6F1 (CD11a) and CD8/CD57 was used to analyze the surface ph enotypes of PBL after allogeneic BMT. In patients with acute and chron ic GVHD, CD8(+)S6F1(+) cells were markedly increased from the onset of GVHD and recovered to normal range 6 years after transplantation. By contrast, CD8(+)S6F1(-) cells fell below normal range and remained mar kedly decreased for 2-3 years after transplantation in patients with a cute and chronic GVHD. A slight but significant increase of CD8(+)CD57 (-) cells was observed with clinical signs of acute GVHD. On the other hand, CD8(+)CD57(+) cells were increased after the onset of acute and chronic GVHD and recovered to normal range 6 years after transplantat ion. These results suggest that these subsets of CD8(+) cells may play important roles in the pathophysiology of GVHD.