Monitoring the CD4+ T cell subsets, including the Treg cells (CD4 CD25highCD127low) and the conventional CD4+ T cells (CD127highCD25low), may help optimize the management of kidney transplant recipients. The expression of the chemokine receptors CXCR3 and CCR4 in these cells may provide valuable information about the functionality of these cells in the kidney graft. In a prospective study of 27 kidney transplant recipients (aged 53.5±15 years; 19 men and 8 women) with no acute rejection we measured by flow cytometry the expression of the receptors CXCR3 and CCR4 in Treg cells and conventional CD4+ T cells in samples obtained from both fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the graft and from the peripheral blood at 1 and 6 months post-transplantation. Whereas in peripheral blood samples we detected a significant increase in Treg cells from the first to the sixth month post-transplant (5.8±10 versus 11.6±6.6%; P=0.040), this increase was more obvious in the Treg using the FNAC samples (3.3±4 versus 12.3±7%; P=0.002). Likewise, at 6 months post-transplant we noted an increase in the percentage of Treg with a high expression of the skin-homing CCR4 in peripheral blood (1.6±2.5 versus 4.4±6.6%). This receptor (binding CCL2) is related with chemokines involved in inflammatory processes unrelated to rejection. This finding was more notable in the kidney graft samples obtained by FNAC (CCR4 1 month: 0 versus 6 months: 9.7±16.4%; P=0.055). No significant changes were seen in the expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR3 or in the Treg cells or the conventional CD4+ T cells. In summary, post-transplant monitoring of the Treg cells and the chemokine expression (CXCR3 and CCR4) by FNAC may be a useful tool for following up the immunological response in kidney transplant patients.

« Back to 2013 American Transplant Congress