Long-term persistence of oligoclonal serum IgM repertoires in patients treated with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT)

Clin Exp Immunol. 2000 Jan;119(1):240-9. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2249.2000.01118.x.

Abstract

Immunoglobulin gene rearrangements in patients treated with BMT have restricted repertoire diversity. Clonal variability remains low for 3 months and reconstitution of the humoral immune system appears to follow a wave-like pattern. In the present study we analysed serum IgM and IgG repertoires in 44 patients from 1 week to 3 years after transplantation. We applied a quantitative immunoblot technique in combination with a newly developed method for estimation of repertoire diversity in complex mixtures of antibodies. Our results demonstrate that 60% of BMT patients have severely reduced diversity in the IgM repertoire during and after the first year post-BMT, compared with healthy controls. In contrast, the majority of patients have a polyclonal IgG repertoire, similar to that of healthy controls. Serum IgM repertoires remain oligoclonal even though the serum concentration of total IgM is within normal range around 6 months post-BMT. During the first years after transplantation IgM as well as IgG repertoires are less diverse in patients receiving a BM graft from a sibling donor compared with those receiving a graft from an HLA-matched unrelated donor. Patients in the latter group show a higher incidence of infections and minor antigen mismatches which may promote the development of a diverse immunoglobulin repertoire post-BMT.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibody Diversity
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation / immunology*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Graft Survival
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Immunoglobulin M / blood*
  • Living Donors
  • Middle Aged
  • Nuclear Family
  • Time Factors
  • Transplantation, Homologous

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M