IL-7 enhances peripheral T cell reconstitution after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
J. Clin. Invest. Önder Alpdogan, et al. 112:1095 doi:10.1172/JCI17865 [Go to this article.]

Figure 3
IL-7Rα expression is downregulated on alloreactive T cells and IL-7 does not exacerbate the development of GVHD. (a) Lethally irradiated (1,300 cGy) CBA recipients were transplanted with B10.BR TCD-BM. IL-7 (10 μg/day) or PBS (control) was administered by intraperitoneal injection on days 21–27 after allogeneic BMT. Animals were sacrificed on day 28 and IL-7Rα expression was determined on donor-derived splenic CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ cells in IL-7–treated, PBS (control), and age-matched nontransplanted mice by flow cytometric analysis. Naive and memory/activated cells and donor/host origin were defined as in Figure 1. Iso-Ig, isotype control for the anti–IL-7Rα antibody. (b and c) BMT was performed as described in Figure 2a. Spleens were harvested from mice at 16 hours and on day 7, and stained with anti-CD8 and –IL-7Rα antibodies. (d) Sublethally irradiated (750 cGy) C3FeB6F1 recipients were infused with CFSE-labeled B6 purified T cells (2 × 10⁷). Spleen and superficial lymph nodes (axillary and inguinal) were harvested at day 3 and cells underwent flow cytometric analysis with anti-CD8 and –IL-7Rα antibodies to determine the number of cell divisions and IL-7Rα expression of CD8⁺ T cells. (e) Lethally irradiated (1,300 cGy) CBA mice were transplanted with B10.BR TCD-BM (5 × 10⁶) with T cells (0.5 × 10⁶). Mice were sacrificed at day 7 or day 14 after BMT. Spleen, gut, liver, and lymph nodes were harvested and mononuclear cells were obtained. Cells were stained with anti-CD4, -CD8, and –IL-7Rα antibodies for flow cytometric analysis. Representative histograms of four mice are shown. Dotted lines indicate isotype control for IL-7Rα. (f) Lethally irradiated (1,300 cGy) CBA mice were transplanted with B10.BR TCD-BM (5 × 10⁶) and varying T cell doses: 0.5 × 10⁶ (left graph), 0.2 × 10⁶ (right graph, circles), and 0.1 × 10⁶ (right graph, diamonds). IL-7 (10 μg/day) or PBS (control) was administered by intraperitoneal injection from day 0 to day 7 after allogeneic BMT. Open symbols represent the PBS (control) groups, and filled symbols represent the IL-7–treated groups. Kaplan-Meier survival curves are shown (n = 8–24).