Host dendritic cells (DCs) play a critical role in initiating graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and graft-versus-leukemia (GVL), and separation of GVL from GVHD remains a major challenge in the treatment of hematologic malignancies by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Here, we show that preconditioning with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody before conditioning with total body irradiation (TBI) prevents GVHD but retains GVL in a HCT model of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-mismatched C57BL/6 donor to BALB/c host. Prevention of GVHD is associated with inhibition of donor T-cell expression of homing and chemokine receptors, and inhibition of GVHD target tissue expression of chemokines. Furthermore, inhibition of donor T-cell expression of gut homing ␣47 and chemokine receptor (CCR)9 by anti-CD3 preconditioning results from a reduction of CD103 ؉ DCs in draining mesenteric lymph nodes (LNs), which is associated with down-regulation of DC expression of CCR7, a receptor
IntroductionIn allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), both graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) activity are predominantly mediated by donor T cells in bone marrow grafts. 1-4 Donor T cells are activated in host lymphoid tissues and then migrate to epithelial GVHD target tissues (ie, gut, liver, lung, and skin) to mediate GVHD. [5][6][7] Studies have shown that inhibition of donor T-cell migration to GVHD target tissues prevents GVHD but retains GVL activities in lymphohematologic tissues. 8,9 Alloreactive T cells are activated by host antigen-presenting cells (APCs), especially dendritic cells (DCs), in secondary lymphoid tissues. 10,11 It has been proposed that, during activation, host DCs in draining lymph nodes (LNs) induce donor T cells to express homing and chemokine receptors (CCRs) that medicate tissuespecific migration. 12 It has been shown that DCs in mesenteric LNs (MLNs) induce T-cell expression of ␣47 receptors and CCR9 that mediate T-cell migration to gut tissues, 13,14 because DCs in MLNs are able to metabolize vitamin A into retinoic acid (RA) that induces T cells to up-regulate ␣47 and CCR9. 15 Similarly, DCs in peripheral LNs induce T-cell expression of E-selectin ligand (E-Lig), P-selectin ligand (P-Lig), CCR4, and CCR10 that mediate T-cell migration to skin tissue, 14,16,17 because DCs in peripheral LNs are able to metabolize vitamin D3 to an active form that induces T cells to up-regulate CCR10 18 T-cell expression of chemokine receptors as well as GVHD target tissue release of chemokines has been shown to play critical roles in the control of donor T-cell migration to GVHD target tissues. [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] It has been proposed that CD103 ϩ DCs in lamina propria (LP) capture antigens locally and then migrate via afferent lymph to draining MLN, where they activate naive T cells and induce expression of gut tissue-specific homing and chemokine receptors. 27 It has also been indicated that DC migration from LP to MLN and from dermis to peripheral LN (PLN)...