Peptide vaccination induces profound changes in the immune system in patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Folia Histochem Cytobiol. 2011;49(1):161-7. doi: 10.5603/fhc.2011.0023.

Abstract

Although the immune status of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients is mostly characterized by immunosuppression, there is an accumulation of in vivo (graft-versus-leukemia effect) and in vitro (spontaneous remissions after infections) data that indicates that CLL might be effectively targeted by T-cell based immunotherapy. Recently, we characterized receptor for hyaluronic acid mediated motility (RHAMM) as a preferential target for immunotherapy of CLL. We also completed a RHAMM-derived peptide vaccination phase I/II clinical trial in CLL. Here, we present a detailed immunological analysis of six CLL patients vaccinated with HLA-A2 restricted RHAMM-derived epitope R3 (ILSLELMKL). Beside effective induction of R3-specific cytotoxic T-cells, peptide vaccination caused profound changes in different T-cell subsets as well as cytokines. We present longitudinal analyses of Th17, CD8(+)CD103(+), CD8(+)CD137(+) and IL-17 producing CD8(+) T cells (CD8(+)IL- -17(+)) as well as important cytokines involved in regulation of immune response such as TGF-β, IL-10, IL-2 and TNF throughout the peptide vaccination period.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cancer Vaccines / adverse effects
  • Cancer Vaccines / immunology*
  • Cytokines / blood
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / diagnosis
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / immunology*
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / therapy
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Peptide Fragments / adverse effects
  • Peptide Fragments / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / drug effects
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / pathology
  • Vaccination

Substances

  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Cytokines
  • Peptide Fragments