The detection of specific antibody formation to recall antigens after human bone marrow transplantation.

The results of this study show that donor-derived immunity can be detected and persists in long-term survivors with and without chronic graft-v-host disease (GVHD) after human marrow grafting. Seventy-one marrow recipients (60 long-term and 11 short-term survivors) were studied for the presence of specific serum IgG antibodies to tetanus toxoid (TT), and 46 marrow recipients (35 long-term and 11 short-term) were tested for antibodies to diphtheria toxoid (DT) and measles virus after marrow grafting using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of the 60 long-term survivors, 31 were healthy and 29 had chronic GVHD. None of the recipients were immunized to the test antigens postgrafting. Most long-term healthy recipients exhibited antibody titers to the recall test antigens, whereas only a minority of those with chronic GVHD had antibody titers to recall antigens. In healthy long-term recipients (greater than or equal to one year postgrafting) whose donors were immune to the test antigens, 25 of 31 had titers to TT, 11 of 17 had titers to DT, and 12 of 20 had titers to measles. In recipients with C-GVHD, 13 of 29 had titers to TT, six of 15 had titers to DT, and six of 15 had titers to measles virus. Within 100 days postgrafting, 11 of 11 had anti-TT titers, ten of ten had anti-DT titers, and seven of eight had antimeasles virus titers.