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Abstract: FR-PO778

Association Between the Distribution of Regulatory T Cell Populations and Immunosuppressant

Session Information

Category: Transplantation

  • 2002 Transplantation: Clinical

Authors

  • Kim, Yanghyeon, Renal Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Gospel Hospital, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea (the Republic of)
  • Heo, Sujung, Renal Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Gospel Hospital, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea (the Republic of)
  • Lee, Nagyeom, Renal Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Gospel Hospital, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea (the Republic of)
  • Kim, Ye na, Renal Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Gospel Hospital, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea (the Republic of)
  • Shin, Ho Sik, Renal Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Gospel Hospital, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea (the Republic of)
  • Jung, Yeonsoon, Renal Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Gospel Hospital, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea (the Republic of)
  • Rim, Hark, Renal Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Gospel Hospital, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea (the Republic of)
Background

Current immunosuppressants cannot achieve induction of immune tolerance and their nonspecific immunosuppressive effects result in many adverse effects. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play rucial roles in controlling allospecific immune responses. This study evaluated the distribution of Tregs and their effects on kidney allograft function in Korean KT recipients.

Methods

We enrolled 113 KT recipients with stable graft function between 1995 and 2018. Differentiation and expansion of Tregs were studied by flowcytometry to compare the Tregs subpopulations. Tregs were defined as CD4+CD25highCD127low/-FoxP3+cells.

Results

Among the 113 patients, 73 patients (64.6%) were males and mean follow-up period was 147.5 ± 111.3 months. All patients received calcineurininhibitors as maintenance immunosuppressants. Patients with follow-up period more than 144.3 months tended to have more gating Tregs numbers than that inshorter follow-up period (92.3 ± 142.4 vs. 50.1 ± 76.4, p= 0.061, respectively). There were no significant differences in Tregs subpopulations between patientswith serum creatinine more than 1.5 md/dL and patients with serum creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL. In terms of the number of Tregs, when the trough level oftacrolimus was at an appropriate level, the number of Tregs tended to be higher than that of Tregs when the trough level of tacrolimus was low or high, and the organ function of the transplant was also stable

Conclusion

In the present study, there was significant association between the distribution of Tregs and
immunosuppressant’s type and dose. However, there was no significant relationship between Tregs and kidney allograft function.

Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the patients