Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
8431133 Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation 2016 8 Pages PDF
Abstract
Numerous previous studies have suggested that cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) plays an important role in acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). How CTLA-4 acts in regulating acute GVHD remains unknown, however. In the present study, we found that, compared with healthy controls, CTLA-4 plasma and relative mRNA levels in patients with acute GVHD were initially decreased and then markedly elevated after 28 days of treatment. CTLA-4 levels were higher in patients with grade I-II acute GVHD compared with those with grade III-IV acute GVHD both before and after treatment. Up-regulation of CTLA-4 significantly increased the luciferase activity and degree of phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Meanwhile, T cell activation was significantly inhibited, and levels of IFN-γ, IL-17, and IL-22 decreased. These findings suggest that CTLA-4 might be involved in the pathogenesis of acute GVHD, and may down-regulate T helper 1 cells by increasing STAT3 expression in acute GVHD.
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