Enumeration of functionally active anti-Aspergillus T-cells in human peripheral blood

J Immunol Methods. 2008 Jun 1;335(1-2):41-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jim.2008.02.014. Epub 2008 Mar 20.

Abstract

Invasive aspergillosis remains a life-threatening complication in patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Since CD4(+) T-cells provide a critical secondary defense against Aspergillus spp., the quantification of "functional" anti-Aspergillus T-cells might be important in the clinical care of allogeneic transplant patients. We present a rapid, simple and reproducible method to enumerate functionally active, cytokine-producing anti-Aspergillus T-cells in peripheral blood by means of flow cytometry, by which these cells were also phenotypically characterized as memory CD4(+) T-cells. When using 100,000 PBMCs and requiring a minimum of 50 events, at least one anti-Aspergillus T-cell among 1000 CD4(+) T-cells can be detected. Compared to healthy individuals, the number of anti-Aspergillus T-cells in patients up to one year after SCT was significantly lower. The presented method might help to define hematopoietic transplant recipients who will benefit from adoptive transfer of anti-Aspergillus T cells.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Antigens, Fungal
  • Aspergillosis / etiology
  • Aspergillosis / immunology*
  • Aspergillosis / microbiology
  • Aspergillus fumigatus / immunology*
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / microbiology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Child
  • Cytokines / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry*
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Memory
  • Immunophenotyping / methods*
  • Male
  • Phenotype
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Antigens, Fungal
  • Cytokines