TY - JOUR
T1 - FOXP3 mRNA expression analysis in the peripheral blood and allograft of heart transplant patients
AU - Dijke, IE
AU - Caliskan, Kadir
AU - Korevaar, Sander
AU - Maat, A.P.W.M.
AU - Zondervan, Pieter
AU - Balk, Aggie
AU - Weimar, Willem
AU - Baan, Carla
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - Previously, we demonstrated in heart transplant patients that FOXP3, a gene required for the development and function of regulatory T cells, was highly expressed in the graft during an acute cellular rejection. In this study, we analyzed whether the FOXP3 gene expression in the peripheral blood also reflects anti-donor immune responses, and therefore may provide clues for non-invasive detection of non-responsiveness or acute rejection. We examined the FOXP3 expression patterns of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC; n=69) of 19 heart transplant patients during quiescence and rejection in comparison with those of endomyocardial biopsies (EMB; n=75) of 24 heart transplant patients. While the FOXP3 mRNA levels were abundantly expressed in rejecting EMB (ISHLT rejection grade > 1R) compared with EMB without histological evidence of myocardial damage (ISHLT rejection grade OR-1R; p=0.003), no association with rejection or non-responsiveness was found for the FOXP3 mRNA levels in the peripheral blood. Thus, in contrast to intragraft FOXP3 gene expression, the peripheral FOXP3 mRNA levels lack correlation with anti-donor immune responses in the graft, and, consequently, FOXP3 does not appear to be a potential candidate gene for non-invasive diagnosis of non-responsiveness or rejection. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
AB - Previously, we demonstrated in heart transplant patients that FOXP3, a gene required for the development and function of regulatory T cells, was highly expressed in the graft during an acute cellular rejection. In this study, we analyzed whether the FOXP3 gene expression in the peripheral blood also reflects anti-donor immune responses, and therefore may provide clues for non-invasive detection of non-responsiveness or acute rejection. We examined the FOXP3 expression patterns of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC; n=69) of 19 heart transplant patients during quiescence and rejection in comparison with those of endomyocardial biopsies (EMB; n=75) of 24 heart transplant patients. While the FOXP3 mRNA levels were abundantly expressed in rejecting EMB (ISHLT rejection grade > 1R) compared with EMB without histological evidence of myocardial damage (ISHLT rejection grade OR-1R; p=0.003), no association with rejection or non-responsiveness was found for the FOXP3 mRNA levels in the peripheral blood. Thus, in contrast to intragraft FOXP3 gene expression, the peripheral FOXP3 mRNA levels lack correlation with anti-donor immune responses in the graft, and, consequently, FOXP3 does not appear to be a potential candidate gene for non-invasive diagnosis of non-responsiveness or rejection. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
U2 - 10.1016/j.trim.2007.08.001
DO - 10.1016/j.trim.2007.08.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 18047933
SN - 0966-3274
VL - 18
SP - 250
EP - 254
JO - Transplant Immunology
JF - Transplant Immunology
IS - 3
ER -