Increased numbers of CD8+CD11+, CD8+CD11- and CD8+Leu7+ cells in patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 25 allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients were studied serially using flow cytometry and two colour analysis. Fourteen patients were transplanted for haematologic malignancies, eight for aplastic anaemia, two for congenital immunodeficiencies and one for Morquio's disease. All patients were alive more than 100 days post-grafting; nine patients had chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Dual labelling with monoclonal antibodies, CD4/2H4, CD4/4B4, CD8/CD11, CD8/HLA-DR and CD8/Leu 7 was used to analyse the surface phenotypes of lymphocytes. The population of CD4+2H4+ cells was decreased, and CD8+CD11+, CD8+CD11- and CD8+Leu7+ cells were markedly increased in patients with chronic GVHD. The increase of CD8+CD11+, CD8+CD11- and CD8+Leu7+ cells closely correlated with clinical signs of chronic GVHD in each patient. These results suggest that CD8+ cells may play an important role in effector and/or suppressor mechanisms of chronic GVHD and could be used as an indicator of need for and response to treatment.