Donor-specific CTL frequencies in peripheral blood in relation to graft vascular disease after clinical heart transplantation

Abstract Cellular mechanisms may play a role in the development of graft vascular disease (GVD). We previously demonstrated that GVD correlated with an increase of donor-specific T-helper 1 cytokine production by graft-infiltrating lymphocytes but not by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). These T-helper 1 cytokines aid the generation of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL). In the present report, we investigated whether there is a relationship between the frequency of donor-specific CTL precursors (pCTL) in PBMC and the development of GVD. We tested PBMC samples of five patients with GVD and five patients without GVD in the periods 3–6 months, 1 year, and 3 years after heart transplantation. At all time points, GVD was not related to the number of pCTL. In conclusion, donor-specific cellular tests in peripheral blood could not be related to GVD. Apparently, donor-specific reactions associated with the induction of GVD can only be monitored in the graft.