In Vivo T Cell Depletion Using Rabbit Derived ATG Leads to An Increased EBV-PTLD Risk Due to An Induced Imbalance Between B and T Cell Recovery Which Is Not Seen After Horse Derived ATG or Alemtuzumab
Authors: Halkes C.J.M. , Falkenburg J.H.F. , van Egmond H.M. , Wolbers J. Olde , Starrenburg C.W.J. , van Balen P. , van de Meent M. , von dem Borne P.A. , Marijt W.A.F. , Veelken J.H. , Jedema I 
Published: October 2019

Abstract 1979

Control of replication of endogenous viruses like CMV and EBV is fully dependent on CMV or EBV specific T cells after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT). In the absence of specific CD8 T cell control, proliferation of EBV infected B cells can lead to post transplantation lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD). In an initial cohort of patients treated with horse derived anti thymocyte globulin (h-ATG), no early PTLD was observed. However, due to unavailability in Europe, h-ATG had to be replaced by rabbit derived ATG (r-ATG), leading to an unacceptable high incidence of EBV-PTLD (26% during first 3 months after alloSCT). Replacement of r-ATG by alemtuzumab (ALT) significantly reduced the incidence of EBV-PTLD (3 months incidence of EBV-PTLD 2%). To determine the immunological basis of these findings we performed a detailed analysis of immune reconstitution in these three cohorts of transplanted patients. The first cohort (41 patients) received h-ATG (Lymphoglobulin) 10 mg/kg/day for 4 days. The second cohort (19 patients) received r-ATG (Thymoglobulin) 2.0 or 3.5 mg/kg/day for 4 days and the third cohort (60 patients) received ALT, 15 mg/day for 2 days. All grafts consisted of PBSC to which 20 mg of ALT was added for in vitro T cell depletion. All patients received a fludarabin and busulphan based conditioning regimen. No standard post transplantation immunosuppressive treatment was given.

In the r-ATG cohort, early EBV-PTLD occurred after a median of 7 weeks (range 4–12 weeks) post alloSCT. Three r-ATG treated patients died while high levels of circulating EBV-DNA were present (> log 4.0 copies/mL). Incidence of CMV disease was not significantly different in the three cohorts (5%, 6% and 0%, respectively). In contrast to the other 2 cohorts, immune reconstitution in the r-ATG cohort was characterized by an imbalance between recovery of B cells and CD8 T cells. Already 3 weeks after alloSCT, the majority (67%) of r-ATG patients showed a more rapid reconstitution of B cells than CD8 T cells, leading to B cells outnumbering CD8 T cells. This was seen in only a small minority of patients after h-ATG and ALT (17% and 6%, respectively, p<0.01 versus r-ATG).

Because rapid recovery of T cells in the alemtuzumab patients was frequently found in the presence of circulating ALT (mean concentration 0.43 μg/mL and 0.12 μg/mL after 3 and 6 weeks, respectively), the phenotype of circulating CD4 and CD8 T cells at 6 weeks after ALT was analyzed. The majority of circulating CD8 and CD4 T cells lacked CD52 expression (56% (range 0–99%) and 81% (range 0–93%), respectively). Using tetramer staining, cytotoxicity assays and analysis of cytokine production, we demonstrated the presence of functional CD52 negative as well as CD52 positive CMV and EBV specific CD8 T cells. Based on FLAER negativity, it was demonstrated that the CD52 negative T cells are GPI anchor deficient, representing a PNH-like clone escaping ALT induced cell lysis. Because almost half of the circulating CD8 T cells were CD52 positive, we examined expression of CD52 and the in-vitro sensitivity to ALT-mediated complement-dependent cell lysis (CDC) of B cells, CD4 and CD8 T cells of healthy donors. The highest CD52 expression was observed on B cells (mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) 120), resulting in 95% lysis after incubation with ALT and complement. Differential expression of CD52 was observed on CD4 and CD8 T cells, MFI 120 and 101 respectively, resulting in relative protection of CD52 positive CD8 compared to CD4 T cells against ALT-mediated CDC (52% and 90% lysis).

We conclude that the high incidence of EBV-PTLD after in-vivo T cell depletion with r-ATG is caused by an induced imbalance between B and T cell recovery, which is not seen after h-ATG or ALT. In-vivo T cell depletion with ALT is associated with a relatively low risk of EBV disease because of efficient B cell depletion and persistent EBV immunity due to the relative insusceptibility for ALT of CD8 T cells and the development of functional CD52 negative escape variants of CD4 and CD8 T cells.

Disclosures:

Off Label Use: Alemtuzumab and Anti Thymocyte Globulin used for in vivo T cell depletion prior to allogeneic stem cell transplantation.