RATIONALE: Studying samples of blood from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors predict whether patients undergoing donor stem cell transplant will develop acute graft-versus-host disease. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying T cells to see how well they help in predicting acute graft-versus-host disease in patients undergoing donor stem cell transplant.
OBJECTIVES: * To determine the association between regulatory T-lymphocyte (Treg) subsets present at engraftment and at day 28 with the incidence of acute graft-versus-host-disease (aGVHD) in patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation. * To identify gut-homing and skin-homing Treg subsets and determine their role during engraftment and at day 28 as a predictor of gut and skin aGVHD, respectively. OUTLINE: Patients undergo blood sample collection at the time of neutrophil engraftment prior to stem cell transplant (SCT) and post-SCT on days 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Blood samples are analyzed for T-cell subsets and for the percentage of regulatory T-lymphocyte (Treg) or other T-cell subsets expressing specific homing receptors for the gut or skin via flow cytometry. Patients' medical records are also reviewed periodically.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
150
Lymphocyte Analysis: Lymphocyte subset studies will be performed on samples obtained from the patient, donor, or graft. Aliquots will be analyzed using standard flow cytometry.
Identification of gut-homing and skin-homing Treg subsets
Patient samples will receive an alphanumeric code assigned by the principal investigator so that patient and donor identity will be known only to study investigators and research staff. Clinical records on each patient will be reviewed by participating investigators or research staff on a routine basis so that relevant clinical information including survival, malignancy relapse, and GVHD can be included in the patient database. Flow cytometry results will also be included in this database.
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Percentage of regulatory T-lymphocytes (Tregs) at engraftment
percentage of Treg subsets present in patient's blood before they undergo stem cell transplant
Time frame: day of stem cell transplant
Association between Treg subsets and acute graft-vs.-host disease outcomes
Identify gut homing and skin homing Treg lymphocyte subsets and compare and contrast them to determine links between the Treg subsets and gut and/or skin acute graft-vs.-host-disease incidence, stage/grade, target organ involvement, and responsiveness to therapy.
Time frame: at stem cell transplant and at day 28
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