Infection and expression of Toll-like receptors in lymphoid malignancy patients after autologous stem cell transplantation

• Published in: Central-European journal of immunology Vol. 46; no. 4; pp. 463 - 469
• Main Authors: Wicherska-Pawłowska, Katarzyna, Rybka, Justyna, Jaźwiec, Bożena, Kalicińska, Elżbieta, Bogucka-Fedorczuk, Aleksandra, Wróbel, Tomasz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Poland Termedia Publishing House 01.01.2021
• Subjects: Autografts; Bacterial infections; Blood cancer; Chemotherapy; Clinical Immunology; haematological malignancies; Hematopoietic stem cells; Immunosurveillance; Infections; Leukocytes (neutrophilic); Malignancy; Morbidity; Patients; Stem cell transplantation; TLR4 protein; TLR9 protein; Toll-like receptors; Toll-like receptors; haematological malignancies; stem cell transplantation
• ISSN: 1426-3912; 1644-4124
• DOI: 10.5114/ceji.2021.112071

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is one of the main strategies for the treatment of haematological neoplasms. Infections are the most common cause of morbidity and mortality from the ASCT procedure. However, it is challenging to predict when these complications are likely to arise. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are present on various immune cells and play a broad role in immune surveillance. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between the expression of TLR genes and the occurrence of infections in patients treated with ASCT. TLR expression was analysed in 60 patients who underwent ASCT. The median age was 54 years. Blood samples were taken before high-dose chemotherapy and at the time of haematopoietic recovery after ASCT. The expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) was significantly higher in patients before ASCT than after transplantation. The expression of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) was significantly higher in patients after ASCT than before transplantation. The expression of TLR9 and TLR4 at the start of the procedure was significantly lower in patients who went on to develop a bacterial infection after ASCT. Moreover, we also observed a significant positive correlation between the expression of TLR9 and neutrophil recovery time after ASCT. Our findings suggest that TLRs could be useful biomarkers to predict and monitor infections in patients treated with ASCT.