Differences in the phenotype, cytokine gene expression profiles, and in vivo alloreactivity of T cells mobilized with plerixafor compared with G-CSF

J Immunol. 2013 Dec 15;191(12):6241-9. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1301148. Epub 2013 Nov 15.

Abstract

Plerixafor (Mozobil) is a CXCR4 antagonist that rapidly mobilizes CD34(+) cells into circulation. Recently, plerixafor has been used as a single agent to mobilize peripheral blood stem cells for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Although G-CSF mobilization is known to alter the phenotype and cytokine polarization of transplanted T cells, the effects of plerixafor mobilization on T cells have not been well characterized. In this study, we show that alterations in the T cell phenotype and cytokine gene expression profiles characteristic of G-CSF mobilization do not occur after mobilization with plerixafor. Compared with nonmobilized T cells, plerixafor-mobilized T cells had similar phenotype, mixed lymphocyte reactivity, and Foxp3 gene expression levels in CD4(+) T cells, and did not undergo a change in expression levels of 84 genes associated with Th1/Th2/Th3 pathways. In contrast with plerixafor, G-CSF mobilization decreased CD62L expression on both CD4 and CD8(+) T cells and altered expression levels of 16 cytokine-associated genes in CD3(+) T cells. To assess the clinical relevance of these findings, we explored a murine model of graft-versus-host disease in which transplant recipients received plerixafor or G-CSF mobilized allograft from MHC-matched, minor histocompatibility-mismatched donors; recipients of plerixafor mobilized peripheral blood stem cells had a significantly higher incidence of skin graft-versus-host disease compared with mice receiving G-CSF mobilized transplants (100 versus 50%, respectively, p = 0.02). These preclinical data show plerixafor, in contrast with G-CSF, does not alter the phenotype and cytokine polarization of T cells, which raises the possibility that T cell-mediated immune sequelae of allogeneic transplantation in humans may differ when donor allografts are mobilized with plerixafor compared with G-CSF.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD / biosynthesis
  • Antigens, CD / genetics
  • Benzylamines
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / transplantation
  • Cyclams
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Cytokines / genetics*
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / biosynthesis
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation / immunology*
  • Graft vs Host Disease / immunology
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / pharmacology*
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization*
  • Heterocyclic Compounds / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed
  • Lymphopoiesis
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Radiation Chimera
  • Receptors, CXCR4 / drug effects
  • Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / drug effects*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • Benzylamines
  • CXCR4 protein, human
  • Cyclams
  • Cytokines
  • FOXP3 protein, human
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Foxp3 protein, mouse
  • Heterocyclic Compounds
  • Receptors, CXCR4
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor
  • plerixafor