Early T 4 / T 8 - Ratio Shifts

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). a major complication of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). is probably mediated by T lymphocytes present in the marrow graft. In this study. the repopulation of the peripheral blood with T4 and T8 T cells was investigated during the period preceding the occurrence of acute GVHD. Twentyfour allogeneic and 1 1 autologous BMT recipients were monitored from day 4 post-BMT onward by the use of monoclonal antibodies. indirect immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry. The recipients of allogeneic transplants received methotrexate as GVHD prophylaxis. Similar recovery patterns for T4 and T8 T cells were found following autologous and allogeneic BMT. However. lymphoid repopulation occurred at a clearly faster rate after autologous BMT. T4 T cells were the first to reappear in