Study on the KIR receptor-ligand model in treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effect of KIR-HLA receptor-ligand model on the unrelated allo-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Allo-HSCT) of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Methods The KIR genotype of 23 pairs of ALL patients and their HLA-matched unrelated donors obtained from the Database of China Marrow Donor Program. KIR genotype was determined using PCR-SSP. The expression of inhibitory KIR(iKIR) was determined by flow cytometry analysis on recipients after HSCT. Results Among all 23 donor/recipient pairs, 17 donors with KIR2DL2/L3 could find corresponding HLA-Cw1, 3, 7, 8, 12, 14 ligands in their recipients. Six donors with KIR2DL1 could match with HLA-Cw6, 15 in recipients. Sixteen donors with KIR3DL1 could recognize HLA-Bw4 and 12 donors with 3DL2 could find HLA-AI1 in their corresponding recipients, respectively. Ninteen patients were successfully transplanted, and the death rate of transplantation were 33.3% (2/6)and 40.0% (2/5) in KIR receptor-ligand matched model and the graft versus leukemia(HVG) KIR ligand-mismatching pattern. The frequency of acute graft versus host disease(GVHD) was 50.0% and death rate was 12.5% (1/8) in GVH KIR ligand-mismatching. The incidence rate of activated GVHD(aGVHD) was 20.0% in the HVG KIR ligand-mismatching. Five donor/recipient pairs of KIR gene typing were the KIR-haplotype A, 2 donor/recipient pairs with KIR2DS4 * 001/002 were died, 3 donor/recipient pairs with KIR2DS4 * 003-007 were obtained the disease free survival. The expression of CD158a/2DL1 was low when the patient had no aGVHD, but became much higher when aGVHD occurred. The percentage of NK cell of the patients was decreasing since transplantation, but still higher than normal after HSCT[ (23.4 ± 3.8 ) % vs (2.04 ± 0.58) %, P < 0.05 ]. Conclusion Analysis on KIR-HLA gene loci pattern may provide a useful parameter in predicting the clinical outcome of HLA-matched unrelated allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for leukemia patients. Moreover, it may help to increase overall survival and disease free survival after HSCT by preventing the development of GVHD.