Objective: To explore the influence factors of reconstitution of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) on NK cells in the early stage after non-T cells depletion (non-TCD) HLA-mismatched hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).
Methods: The expression of KIR (CD158a, CD158b, CD158e) on NK cells from peripheral blood (PB) in 24 patients and their donors before and after HLA-mismatched non-TCD HSCT on day +30, +60, were detected by flow cytometry (FCM). Meanwhile the number of the CD3, CD4, CD8, CD14, CD34 positive cells in the allograft were also tested by FCM.
Results: The high dose of CD4+ T cells in the allograft was positively correlated with increased aGVHD occurrence and inversely with the expression of CD158a, CD158aCD158b and CD158e on day +30 and +60. Furthermore, the expression of the CD158b [(19.27 +/- 9.40)% vs (28.92 +/- 10.59)%, P = 0.018 ] and CD158aCD158b [(7.30 +/- 4.73)% vs ( 14.26 +/- 9.71)%, P = 0.016] were higher in patients with 0 - I aGVHD than in patients with II - IV aGVHD.
Conclusion: Both of the T cells in the allograft and the occurrence of GVHD in the early stage after transplantation delayed the recovery of KIR on NK cells.