Open AccessPhenotypic and functional immaturity of human umbilical cord blood T lymphocytes.
Author(s) -
David T. Harris,
Michael J. Schumacher,
Jeffrey C. LoCascio,
Francoise J. Besencon,
George B. Olson,
Dominick DeLuca,
Lewis Shenker,
Judith Bard,
Edward A. Boyse
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.89.21.10006
Subject(s) - umbilical cord , umbilical cord blood transplantation , immunology , haematopoiesis , cord blood , bone marrow , transplantation , medicine , stem cell , placenta cord banking , graft versus host disease , biology , human leukocyte antigen , antigen , fetus , pregnancy , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , placenta
Successful implementation of bone marrow transplantation for hematopoietic reconstitution is limited by the lack of suitably HLA-matched donors and by the occurrence of graft-versus-host disease that frequently accompanies this procedure. Recent clinical reports have implied that the use of umbilical cord blood as a source of transplantable stem cells may solve these problems. To date, definitive experiments have not been performed to assess the immunological potential of T cells found in umbilical cord blood, which could mediate graft-versus-host disease. In the present study we have observed that umbilical cord blood contains T lymphocytes that appear to be phenotypically immature. In addition, umbilical cord blood lymphocytes appeared to be functionally immature as shown by minimal responses to stimulation with interleukin 2, phytohemagglutinin, or alloantigens. Thus, umbilical cord blood may be more suitable for allogeneic transplantation than bone marrow in that these cord blood cells may not be as capable of mediating graft-versus-host disease.