ATC Abstracts

American Transplant Congress abstracts

  • Home
  • Meetings Archive
    • 2022 American Transplant Congress
    • 2021 American Transplant Congress
    • 2020 American Transplant Congress
    • 2019 American Transplant Congress
    • 2018 American Transplant Congress
    • 2017 American Transplant Congress
    • 2016 American Transplant Congress
    • 2015 American Transplant Congress
    • 2013 American Transplant Congress
  • Keyword Index
  • Resources
    • 2021 Resources
    • 2016 Resources
      • 2016 Welcome Letter
      • ATC 2016 Program Planning Committees
      • ASTS Council 2015-2016
      • AST Board of Directors 2015-2016
    • 2015 Resources
      • 2015 Welcome Letter
      • ATC 2015 Program Planning Committees
      • ASTS Council 2014-2015
      • AST Board of Directors 2014-2015
      • 2015 Conference Schedule
  • Search

Donor T Cells Undermine the Graft-Protective Effect of DST Plus Anti-CD154

M. Iglesias, M. Chicco, W. Lee, G. Brandacher, G. Raimondi.

Plastic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.

Meeting: 2018 American Transplant Congress

Abstract number: A435

Keywords: Donor specific transfusion, T cell activation, T cells, Tolerance

Session Information

Session Name: Poster Session A: Tolerance / Immune Deviation

Session Type: Poster Session

Date: Saturday, June 2, 2018

Session Time: 5:30pm-7:30pm

 Presentation Time: 5:30pm-7:30pm

Location: Hall 4EF

Costimulation blockade (CoB) regimens are a promising immunomodulatory strategy to prevent transplant rejection. However, their efficacy is affected by multiple factors, including still unknown ones. Recently, a couple of reports have highlighted the unexpected capacity of passenger donor lymphocytes to limit the efficacy of tolerogenic therapies: they can enhance the recipient's anti-graft response. Further studies are then necessary to understand their role in different settings of regulation of alloreactivity. In this study we aimed to assess if T lymphocytes contained in the donor specific transfusion (DST) inoculum, used as part of a very effective CoB regimen, contribute to the observed limited regulation of skin transplant rejection.

A peri-transplant regimen based on the administration of total splenocytes as DST+anti-CD154 (MR-1) has a profound protective effect on mouse skin allotransplantation. However, it does not induce long term survival (MST=58 days). When T cells were depleted from the splenocytes used as DST, the beneficial effect was statistically increased (MST=105 days). We studied the specific role of CD4 and CD8 T cell of the inoculum by addition of two groups that received DST with depletion of CD4 or CD8 T cells respectively. Surprisingly, the absence of CD8 T lymphocytes induced a remarkable improvement in transplant survival, with 65% of the grafts surviving beyond 180 days. On the contrary, the absence of CD4 abrogated the prolongation of survival observed with the total-T cell depletion in the DST, bringing survival back to a value, MST=64, comparable to that of unmanipulated DST. In ongoing experiments, we are aiming to determine what correlation exists between the presence/absence/type of donor T lymphocytes and the levels of donor specific antibodies, generation of autoantibodies, or variations in the strength of the direct and indirect alloresponses.

Overall, these data reveal the existence of a novel and very important opposing role for donor passenger lymphocytes regarding their contribution to the modulation of recipient's alloimmunity that significantly modifies the efficacy of DST+MR1 based regimens: a deleterious role for donor CD8, and a beneficial one for CD4 T cells. Identification of the specific mechanisms through which these divergent modulations of the anti-donor alloresponse are exerted will be pivotal for the optimization of clinically effective tolerogenic therapies.

CITATION INFORMATION: Iglesias M., Chicco M., Lee W., Brandacher G., Raimondi G. Donor T Cells Undermine the Graft-Protective Effect of DST Plus Anti-CD154 Am J Transplant. 2017;17 (suppl 3).

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Iglesias M, Chicco M, Lee W, Brandacher G, Raimondi G. Donor T Cells Undermine the Graft-Protective Effect of DST Plus Anti-CD154 [abstract]. https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/donor-t-cells-undermine-the-graft-protective-effect-of-dst-plus-anti-cd154/. Accessed June 3, 2025.

« Back to 2018 American Transplant Congress

Visit Our Partner Sites

American Transplant Congress (ATC)

Visit the official site for the American Transplant Congress »

American Journal of Transplantation

The official publication for the American Society of Transplantation (AST) and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) »

American Society of Transplantation (AST)

An organization of more than 3000 professionals dedicated to advancing the field of transplantation. »

American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS)

The society represents approximately 1,800 professionals dedicated to excellence in transplantation surgery. »

Copyright © 2013-2025 by American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Cookie Preferences