Transfer of specific immunity from donor to recipient of an allogeneic bone marrow graft: effect of conditioning on the specific immune response of the graft recipient

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  • MTM.J. D. van Tol
    M.J. D. van Tol
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Abstract
Summary.: Transfer of specific immunity was investigated in a group of 28 paediatric and adult leukaemia patients during the first 100 d after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). These patients and/or their donors were immunized 7–13 d before transplantation with the recall antigen tetanus toxoid (TT) and the neo‐antigen Helix pomatia haemocyanin (HPH). The recipients were booster immunized with both antigens at day 42 after transplantation. Transfer of a primary IgM and IgG response to HPH was successful in most paediatric and adult patients, but transfer of a secondary response to TT was established in only a few paediatric recipients. After booster immunization at day 42 most paediatric recipients responded with a rise in serum antibody titre to HPH as opposed to only two of 18 adult recipients. This incapability of the adult recipients to mount a secondary immune response may be related to their conditioning regimen which included Campath‐IG in vivo. The results from this study indicate that transfer of immunity against recall‐and neo‐antigens is possible. However, the establishment of long‐term memory may be affected by the regimen used to condition the graft recipient.

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