Local T cell infiltrates are predominantly associated with corneal allograft rejection.

Justyna Sakowska, Paulina Glasner, Anna Dukat-Mazurek, Anna Rydz, Maciej Zieliński, Irena Pellowska, Wojciech Biernat, Leopold Glasner, Katarzyna Michalska-Małecka, Piotr Trzonkowski

Transplant immunology 2023 Aug

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Corneal transplantations (CTXs) are a vision-saving procedure. Routinely, while CTXs' survival rates remain high, the risk of graft failure increases significantly for repeated CTXs. The reason is an alloimmunization following previous CTXs and development of memory T (Tm) and B (Bm) cells. We characterized populations of cells present in explanted human corneas from patients receiving the first CTX and marked as a primary CTX (PCTX) or the second or more CTXs and marked as a repeated CTX (RCTX). Cells extracted from resected corneas and from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were analyzed by the flow cytometry method using multiple surface and intracellular markers. Overall, the number of cells was similar in PCTX and RCTX patients. Extracted infiltrates from PCTXs and RCTXs contained similar numbers of T cell subsets, namely CD4+, CD8+, CD4+ Tm, CD8+ Tm, CD4+Foxp3+ T regulatory (Tregs), CD8+ Treg cells, while very few B cells (all p = NS). However, when compared to peripheral blood, PCTX and RCTX corneas contained significantly higher percentages of effector memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (both p < 0,05). In comparison to PCTX, RCTX group had the highest levels of Foxp3 in T CD4+ Tregs (p = 0,04) but decreased percentage of Helios-positive CD4+ Tregs. PCTXs and especially RCTXs are rejected mainly by local T cells. The accumulation of effector CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, as well as CD4+ and CD8+ Tm cells is associated with the final rejection. Furthermore, local CD4+ and CD8+ Tregs expressing Foxp3 and Helios are probably insufficient to impose the acceptance of CTX. Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Citation

Justyna Sakowska, Paulina Glasner, Anna Dukat-Mazurek, Anna Rydz, Maciej Zieliński, Irena Pellowska, Wojciech Biernat, Leopold Glasner, Katarzyna Michalska-Małecka, Piotr Trzonkowski. Local T cell infiltrates are predominantly associated with corneal allograft rejection. Transplant immunology. 2023 Aug;79:101852