Immune reconstitution assessed during five years after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Immune reconstitution is an important component of successful allogeneic bo ne marrow transplantation. Immune reconstitution was evaluated for 5 years after transplantation. While the number of CD8(+) T cells and CD56(+) cells recovered early post transplantation, a low number of CD4(+) and CD4(+)CD4 5RA(+) T cells and reversal of the CD4/CD8 ratio continued up to 5 years. A lthough early recovery of IgG and IgM was seen at day 100 post transplantat ion, serum concentration of IgA was below the normal range at 6 months and increased gradually up to 5 years, Development of acute GVHD did not affect the numbers of CD4(+), CD8(+), CD4(+)CD45RA(+) and CD4(+)CD29(+) T tells, but the number of CD56(+) cells in patients who developed grades II-IV acut e GVHD was low, The number of CD4(+)CD29(+) T cells had a tendency to be hi gher in the patients with extensive chronic GVHD than in those without chro nic GVHD 2 years after transplantation whereas the number of CD4(+)CD45RA() T cells was low in spite of the absence of chronic GVHD, Serum concentrat ion of IgA was lower in patients with extensive chronic GVHD than in those without chronic GVHD at 180 days. The number of CD CD4(+)CD45RA(+) cells in 10-19-year-old patients was higher than that in 40-49-year-old patients, R esponse to the Con A and PHA in 10-19-year-old patients was higher than tha t in older patients at 1 and 2 years, There was no significant difference i n the ability of immune reconstitution between related transplant recipient s and unrelated transplant recipients, These results suggest that chronic G VHD and age of patients affected immune reconstitution post transplant.