Belatacept is used to prevent allograft rejection, but fails to do so in a sizable minority of patients due to inadequate control of costimulation-resistant T cells. We have reported control of costimulation-resistant rejection when belatacept is combined with perioperative alemtuzumab-mediated lymphocyte depletion and rapamycin (ABR). To assess the means by which the ABR regimen controls belatacept-resistant rejection, we studied 20 ABR-treated patients, characterizing peripheral lymphocyte phenotype and functional responses to donor, third-party, and viral antigens using flow cytometry, intracellular cytokine staining, and CFSE-based lymphocyte proliferation. Compared to conventional immunosuppression in 10 patients, lymphocyte depletion evoked substantial homeostatic lymphocyte activation balanced by regulatory T and B cell phenotypes. The reconstituted T cell repertoire was enriched for CD28+ naïve cells, notably diminished in belatacept-resistant CD28- memory subsets, depleted of polyfunctional donor-specific T cells, but able to respond to third-party and latent herpes viruses. B cell responses were similarly favorable, without alloantibody development, and a reduction in memory subsets—changes not seen in conventionally treated patients. ABR regimen uniquely alters the immune profile, producing a repertoire enriched for CD28+ T cells, hyporesponsive to donor-alloantigen, and competent in its protective immune capabilities. The resulting repertoire is permissive for control of rejection with belatacept monotherapy.
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ClinicalTrials.gov - NCT00565773