Characterization of the γδ T cell response to acute leukemia

Background: Previous work from our center has suggested a correlation between increased donor-derived Vδ1+ γδ T cells and long-term relapse-free survival following bone marrow transplantation for leukemia. Questions remain, however, as to whether this observation can be explained by a γδ T cell-based immune response against primary leukemia. Methods: We examined γδ T cell receptor (TCR) phenotype, cell proliferation, and cytolytic activity following culture with irradiated primary leukemia blasts from a haploidentical first-degree relative. Subsequently, we also studied the γδ TCR phenotype and complimentarity determining region 3 (CDR3) cDNA sequences from 17 newly diagnosed leukemia patients. Results: In 17/28 (61%) of in vitro cultures, γδ T cells proliferated in culture with primary blasts. Vδ1+ T cells were proportionally increased in all cultures and were the predominant cell population in 6/17. In the 7 cultures where cytotoxicity could be assessed, 6 (86%) showed some degree of cytotoxicity to the primary leukemia. Vδ1+ T cells were also the predominant γδ T cell subtype in pre-treatment leukemia patients principally due to loss of Vδ2+ T cells rather than expansion of Vδ1+ cells. The Vδ1 CDR3-region cDNA sequence from these patients revealed exclusive use of the Jδ1 constant region and sequence conservation in 4/11 patients. Conclusions: γδ T cells exhibit an in vitro response to primary leukemia blasts that is manifested by proliferation, an increased proportion of Vδ1+ T cells, and cytotoxicity to the primary leukemia blasts. The Vδ1+ T cell population is also predominant in newly diagnosed leukemia patients likely due to a loss of circulating Vδ2+ T cells. A small proportion of newly diagnosed patients showed Vδ1 CDR3 region similarity. These findings suggest a role for γδ T cells in the immune response to leukemia.