TY - JOUR AU - Hetty Jolink, AU - Renate S. Hagedoorn, AU - Ellen L. Lagendijk, AU - Jan W. Drijfhout, AU - Jaap T. van Dissel, AU - J.H. Frederik Falkenburg, AU - Mirjam H.M. Heemskerk, PY - 2014/07/01 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Induction of A. fumigatus-specific CD4-positive T cells in patients recovering from invasive aspergillosis JF - Haematologica JA - haematol VL - 99 IS - 7 SE - Articles DO - 10.3324/haematol.2013.098830 UR - https://haematologica.org/article/view/7092 SP - 1255-1263 AB - After allogeneic stem cell transplantation patients are at risk of invasive aspergillosis, especially during the period of neutropenia. Recent data suggest that impaired T-cell immune reconstitution after transplantation plays an important role in this increased risk. In this study we investigated whether Aspergillus-specific T cells are involved in the recovery from invasive aspergillosis by analyzing the Aspergillus-specific T-cell response in patients with invasive aspergillosis. In nine patients whose Aspergillus infection improved, we identified Crf1- or Catalase1-specific T cells on the basis of CD154 expression and interferon-γ production following stimulation with overlapping peptides of the A. fumigatus proteins Crf1 and Catalase1. These Aspergillus-specific T cells were induced at the moment of regression of the aspergillus lesions. Crf1- and Catalase1-specific T cells, sorted on the basis of CD154 expression at the peak of the immune response, had a T helper-1 phenotype and recognized a variety of T-cell epitopes. In contrast, in two patients with progressive invasive aspergillosis, no Crf1- or Catalase1-specific T cells were identified. These data indicate that the presence of Aspergillus-specific T cells with a T helper-1 phenotype correlates with the clearance of aspergillus infection. ER -