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Impact of MAIT-cell recovery on outcomes in pediatric and young adult patients undergoing allo-HSCT

By Dylan Barrett

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Oct 25, 2024

Learning objective: After reading this article, learners will be able to cite a new clinical development in acute graft-versus-host disease.



MAIT cells are innate-like T-cells associated with several immunological diseases.1 Several studies have examined the role of MAIT cells in immune reconstitution after allo-HSCT; however, the impact of MAIT cells on GvHD and infections post-transplantation has not yet been fully elucidated.1 A retrospective analysis assessed the impact of reconstitution kinetics and function of MAIT cells on outcomes in 145 pediatric and young adult patients undergoing allo-HSCT with a MUD (n = 52) or haplo-donor (n = 93). Results from this analysis were published in Haematologica by Galaverna et al. In 2024.1


Key learnings
Within the first 2 years post-transplant, MAIT cells displayed delayed recovery, prolonged functional impairment, and an increased activation/exhaustion profile, resulting in a suboptimal response to TCR stimulation. 
A higher absolute number of MAIT cells at Day 30 post-transplant was associated with a higher incidence of Grade II–IV aGvHD (19% vs 7%; p = 0.06) and all grade cGvHD (17% vs 6%; p = 0.06), indicating the potential predictive role of MAIT cells in transplant complications.
At Day 30 post-transplant, a higher MAIT-cell count was associated with increased CMV reactivation (44% vs 24%; p = 0.02) and a lower incidence of late BSI (9% vs 19%; p = 0.08).
Early MAIT-cell recovery monitoring may be helpful in predicting complications, including GvHD and infection risks, which may potentially guide post-transplant therapeutic strategies. 

Abbreviations: aGvHD, acute graft-versus-host disease; allo-HSCT, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; BSI, bloodstream infection; cGvHD, chronic graft-versus-host disease; CMV, cytomegalovirus; GvHD, graft-versus-host disease; haplo, haploidentical; MAIT, mucosal-associated invariant T, MUD, matched unrelated donor; TCR, T-cell receptor.

References

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