"PREDICTIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF SERUM INTERLEUKIN-10 FOR ACUTE GRAFT VERSUS HOST DISEASE PRIOR TO ALLOGENEIC BONE MARROW TRASPLANTATION "

Abstract

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a potent immunosuppressor which inhibits alloantigenic T cell response. IL-10 is also an anti-inflammatory endogenous cytokine. To investigate the predictive significance of endogenous IL-10 for acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), we performed a prospective study on spontaneous IL-10 production in the serum of 96 patients admitted for allogeneic BMT. High spontaneous IL-10 production at the time of admission and prior to any preparative treatment correlates with a subsequent low incidence of GVHD as compared to patients with low IL-10 production. Our data demonstrate the predictive significance of increased IL-10 production in BMT patients and suggest a role for it in maintaining immunobalance in the setting of allogenic BMT.