Immune Netw.  2015 Apr;15(2):66-72. 10.4110/in.2015.15.2.66.

Circulating Levels of Adipokines Predict the Occurrence of Acute Graft-versus-host Disease

• Kim JS
• You DB
• Lim JY
• Lee SE
• Kim YJ
• Kim HJ
• Chung NG
• Min CK

• KMID: 2168031
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4110/in.2015.15.2.66

Abstract

Currently, detecting biochemical differences before and after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) for improved prediction of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a major clinical challenge. In this pilot study, we analyzed the kinetics of circulating adipokine levels in patients with or without aGVHD before and after allogeneic SCT. Serum samples were obtained and stored at -80degrees C within 3 hours after collection, prior to conditioning and at engraftment after transplantation. A protein array system was used to measure the levels of 7 adipokines of patients with aGVHD (n=20) and without aGVHD (n=20). The resistin level at engraftment was significantly increased (p<0.001) after transplantation, regardless of aGVHD occurrence. In the non-aGVHD group, the concentrations of the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) (mean values+/-SD; 206.6+/-34.3 vs. 432.3+/-108.9 pg/ml, p=0.040) and angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2) (mean values+/-SD; 3,197.2+/-328.3 vs. 4,471.8+/-568.4 pg/ml, p=0.037) at engraftment were significantly higher than those of the pre-transplant period, whereas in the aGVHD group, the levels of adipokines did not change after transplantation. Our study suggests that changes in serum HGF and ANG-2 levels could be considered helpful markers for the subsequent occurrence of aGVHD.

Keyword

Adipokines; Acute graft-versus-host disease; Allogeneic stem cell transplantation

MeSH Terms

Adipokines*
Angiopoietin-2
Graft vs Host Disease*
Hepatocyte Growth Factor
Humans
Kinetics
Pilot Projects
Protein Array Analysis
Resistin
Stem Cell Transplantation
Adipokines
Angiopoietin-2
Hepatocyte Growth Factor
Resistin

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 Relationship between changes in adipokines and occurrence of aGVHD. (A, B) Significant increasing of HGF (A) and ANG-2 (B) levels at engraftment relative to pre-SCT were observed in the no GVHD group but not in the aGVHD group. (C) Serum resistin levels were compared before and after allogeneic SCT according to the occurrence of GVHD. Abbreviations: HGF, hepatocyte growth factor; ANG-2, angiopoietin-2; SCT, stem cell transplantation; aGVHD, acute graft-versus-host disease.

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