ABSTRACT
GVHD remains a major problem in allo-SCT. We explored the presence of APC in skin biopsies of GVHD patients, using the IgG receptor CD64 expression as a hallmark for activated APC. By immunohistochemistry we demonstrated CD64 to be upregulated on host APC in skin biopsies of patients with acute GVHD and, less prominently, in chronic GVHD. Double staining for CD32 polymorphism revealed CD64-positive cells to be mainly of host origin. The majority of CD64-positive cells coexpressed CD68, indicating a macrophage phenotype. Given its very restricted cellular distribution, CD64 may represent an excellent target for APC-directed therapies in GVHD.
Subject(s)
Gene Expression Regulation , Graft vs Host Disease/metabolism , Receptors, IgG/biosynthesis , Skin Diseases/metabolism , Skin/metabolism , Acute Disease , Antigen-Presenting Cells/metabolism , Antigen-Presenting Cells/pathology , Chronic Disease , Female , Graft vs Host Disease/pathology , Hematologic Neoplasms/metabolism , Hematologic Neoplasms/pathology , Hematologic Neoplasms/therapy , Humans , Male , Skin/pathology , Skin Diseases/pathology , Stem Cell Transplantation , Transplantation, HomologousABSTRACT
Infant-carrying behaviour was observed in two families of captive golden-headed lion tamarins. Although the young were raised in almost identical social situations, we found a reversed involvement of mother-father pairs in the amount of time they carried their offspring. In one case, the parental division of carrying behaviour was consistent with the standard description for callitrichids in that the adult male was the primary carrier. In the other family, the mother carried the infant considerably more than the male. Comparison of transfer initiations and transfer times showed that maternal choice operated. It is suggested that maternal behavior may depend primarily on the female's physical and hormonal condition.