A primary study of aGVHD and the level of IL-1α, IL-2 and VEGF in blood plasma detected by protein chip inallogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients

Objective Toexplore the relationship between acute graft- versus- host disease(aGVHD) and the level of IL- 1α, IL- 2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by the observation of IL- 1α, IL- 2 and VEGF in blood plasma of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients. Methods Thirty- two patients with allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation were divided into acute GVHD(aGVHD) group(24 cases) and nonaGVHD group(8 cases) according to aGVHD occurrence. Patients in 2 groups were dynamically determined blood cytokines level (including IL- 1α, IL- 2 and VEGF) by protein chip. The relationship between aGVHD and cytokines level of IL- 1α, IL- 2 and VEGF was explored. Results The IL- 2 level reached its peak in 2 weeks after transplantation in GVHD group and was higher than that of before transplantation and nonaGVHD group (P﹤0.01).This peak level appeared earlier than aGVHD clinical signs. The IL- 2 reduced gradually with the aGVHD signs losing. The level of IL- 1αwas significantly higher in nonaGVHD group than that of aGVHD in 3 and 5 weeks after transplantation (P ﹤0.01). The VEGF peak level reached in 5 weeks after transplantation in nonaGVHD group, but it reached in 7 weeks after transplantation in aGVHD group. Conclusion The rapid increasing of IL- 2 level after transplantation of hematopoietic stem cell indicates the occurrence of aGVHD. The VEGF peak level appears in nonaGVHD group for 1 week earlier than that of aGVHD group, which indicates hematopoietic reconstruction in nonaGVHD group is earlier than that of aGVHD group. The level of IL- 1αin both 2 groups has a significant variation during the whole observation period. It is demonstrated that dynamic observation of IL- 2 level by protein chip in prediction of aGVHD occurrence may have a wide prospect.