CD4 and CD8 expression of large granular lymphocytes after bone marrow transplantation and its effect on lymphocyte CD4/CD8 ratio.

Abstract

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 33 allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients were studied. The number of large granular lymphocytes (LGL) in circulation increased rapidly after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Their proportion of lymphoid cells exceeded 40% during the first month and was highest, 57%, one to three months after BMT. The CD4 and CD8 expression of LGL differed at different times after BMT. The CD4 positivity decreased from the pre-BMT value of 9.2 +/- 3.3% to 2.5 +/- 0.3% (p < 0.05) at 31-90 days post-BMT. The expression of CD8, on the other hand, was lowest during the first 30 days, 17.1 +/- 1.7%, and increased thereafter to reach its highest level, 49.2 +/- 4.3%, after three months. The low CD4 and high CD8 positivity together with a high proportion of LGL in lymphoid cells after the first month post-BMT inverted the CD4/CD8 ratio of lymphocytes for more than a year after BMT.