Differences between lymphocyte subsets, after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, in patients who received tacrolimus and patients who received cyclosporin A

The subsets of peripheral blood lymphocytes after allogeneic bone marrow tr ansplantation were compared in 20 patients who received tacrolimus and 34 p atients who received cyclosporin A (CsA) prophylactically. The phenotypes o f CD3, CD4, CD8, and D8/CD57 were analyzed by flow cytometry. The percentag e of CD3(+) cells in the tacrolimus group (58.8% +/- 21.6%) was significant ly lower than in the CsA group (77.2% +/- 12.8%) (P = .0239). The percentag e of CD8(+)CD57(+) cells in the patients receiving tacrolimus and developin g acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (grade I, 20.1% +/- 10.6%; grade I I-IV, 13.2% +/- 6.3%) was significantly higher than in the patients receivi ng CsA and developing acute GVHD (grade I, 10.7% +/- 5.2%; grade II-IV, 7.7 % +/- 4.0%) (grade I, P = .0036; grade II-IV P = .0255). The absolute numbe r of CD8(+)CD57(+) cells in the patients with grade II-IV acute GVHD was al so significantly higher in the tacrolimus group compared with the CsA group . There was no difference in the incidence of acute GVHD in the 2 groups. R ecovery from acute GVHD in the tacrolimus group (16.6 +/- 13.6 days) was mo re rapid than in the CsA group (30.8 +/- 24.5 days) (P = .0124). These resu lts suggest that, compared with CsA, tacrolimus administered prophylactical ly induces more CD8(+)CD57(+) lymphocytes when acute GVHD occurs and accele rates the recovery from acute GVHD more rapidly. (C) 2000 The Japanese Soci ety of Hematology.