关键词: 造血干细胞移植, 口腔慢性移植物抗宿主病, T细胞

Abstract: Objective This study aimed to explore the levels of T-cell cytokines in saliva of patients with oral chronic graft-versus-host-disease(cGVHD) who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, as well as understand the T-cell immune status in patients. Methods Eighteen oral cGVHD patients were recruited as the transplantation group, and the scores of oral manifestations were recorded. Furthermore, 18 healthy volunteers were selected as healthy controls. The unstimulated saliva of the two groups was collected, and the concentrations of T-cell cytokines such as interferon(IFN)-γ, interleukin(IL)-4, IL-6, and IL-10 in saliva were detected by cytometric bead array. Results IFN-γ and IL-4 levels in the transplantation group showed no difference from those of healthy controls. By contrast, the levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly higher than those of healthy controls(255.04 pg?mL-1 vs. 6.02 pg?mL-1 and 1.49 pg?mL-1 vs. 0.17 pg?mL-1, respectively; P<0.01). The scores of oral manifestations were positively related to IL-6(r=0.978, P<0.01) and IL-10 (r=0.668, P<0.01) levels. The levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were also positively correlated(r=0.666, P<0.01). Conclusion The expression levels of IL-6 and IL-10 in saliva were both up-regulated in oral cGVHD patients. Severe oral manifestations corresponded to high levels of IL-6 and IL-10. Thus, Th2 cell cytokines(IL-6 andIL-10) might play a significant role in the pathogenesis of oral cGVHD.

Key words: hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, oral chronic graft-versus-host-disease, T cell