Plasma levels of IL-7 and IL-15 after reduced intensity conditioned allo-SCT and relationship to acute GVHD

To assess the impact of homeostatic expansion on the occurrence of acute GVHD after reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) transplantation, systemic levels of IL-7 and IL-15 and expression of their specific receptor chains were prospectively investigated in 45 fully HLA-matched allograft recipients. IL-7 and IL-15 levels peaked at four- to fivefold over pre-conditioning values. IL-7 levels were inversely correlated to absolute T-cell counts. Peak IL-15 levels positively correlated to concurrent CRP levels, but normalized earlier than IL-7. These results indicate that the kinetic course of IL-7 depends mainly on initiation of T-cell recovery, while IL-15 depends more on peri-transplant inflammation after RIC. Longer duration of the rise in IL-7 levels was associated with preservation of a normal CD4/CD8 ratio. In all, 16 (35%) patients developed grade 2-4 acute GVHD at a median of 42 days post graft, preceded by higher IL-7 levels and more downregulation of IL-7 receptor alpha chain on CD4(+) T cells than in patients without acute GVHD, suggesting enhanced homeostatic expansion. In multivariate analysis, IL-7 level measured on day +30 was the foremost predictive factor for grade 2-4 acute GVHD (P = 0.002). Measurement of IL-7 level after RIC transplantation might help predict risk of subsequent acute GvHD. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2011) 46, 1374-1381; doi: 10.1038/bmt.2010.300; published online 6 December 2010