The Impact of Histologic Portal T-Cell Density on the Clinical Outcomes in Hepatic Graft-versus-Host Disease and Autoimmune Liver Diseases
Soon Kyu Lee,
Sung-Soo Park,
Silvia Park,
Sung-Eun Lee,
Byung-Sik Cho,
Ki-Seong Eom,
Yoo-Jin Kim,
Hee-Je Kim,
Chang-Ki Min,
Seok-Goo Cho,
Jong Wook Lee,
Seok Lee,
Younghoon Kim,
Ji Won Han,
Hyun Yang,
Si Hyun Bae,
Jeong Won Jang,
Jong Young Choi,
Seung Kew Yoon,
Dong Yeup Lee,
Sung Hak Lee,
Jae-Ho Yoon,
Pil Soo Sung
Affiliations
Soon Kyu Lee
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Sung-Soo Park
Department of Hematology, Catholic Hematology Hospital and Leukemia Research Institute, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Silvia Park
Department of Hematology, Catholic Hematology Hospital and Leukemia Research Institute, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Sung-Eun Lee
Department of Hematology, Catholic Hematology Hospital and Leukemia Research Institute, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Byung-Sik Cho
Department of Hematology, Catholic Hematology Hospital and Leukemia Research Institute, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Ki-Seong Eom
Department of Hematology, Catholic Hematology Hospital and Leukemia Research Institute, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Yoo-Jin Kim
Department of Hematology, Catholic Hematology Hospital and Leukemia Research Institute, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Hee-Je Kim
Department of Hematology, Catholic Hematology Hospital and Leukemia Research Institute, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Chang-Ki Min
Department of Hematology, Catholic Hematology Hospital and Leukemia Research Institute, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Seok-Goo Cho
Department of Hematology, Catholic Hematology Hospital and Leukemia Research Institute, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Jong Wook Lee
Department of Hematology, Catholic Hematology Hospital and Leukemia Research Institute, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Seok Lee
Department of Hematology, Catholic Hematology Hospital and Leukemia Research Institute, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Younghoon Kim
Department of Hospital Pathology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Ji Won Han
The Catholic University Liver Research Centre, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Hyun Yang
The Catholic University Liver Research Centre, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Si Hyun Bae
The Catholic University Liver Research Centre, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Jeong Won Jang
The Catholic University Liver Research Centre, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Jong Young Choi
The Catholic University Liver Research Centre, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Seung Kew Yoon
The Catholic University Liver Research Centre, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Dong Yeup Lee
The Catholic University Liver Research Centre, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Sung Hak Lee
Department of Hospital Pathology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Jae-Ho Yoon
Department of Hematology, Catholic Hematology Hospital and Leukemia Research Institute, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Pil Soo Sung
The Catholic University Liver Research Centre, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Hepatic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) significantly impacts morbidity and mortality among allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. However, the relationship between clinical and immunopathological phenotypes and their influence on clinical outcomes in hepatic GVHD is not well understood. In this study, we aimed to study the implications of portal T-cell infiltration on the clinical outcomes in hepatic GHVD and its similarities to autoimmune liver disease. We analyzed 78 patients with biopsy-confirmed hepatic GVHD (n = 38) or autoimmune liver disease (n = 40) between 2016 and 2021. The cholestatic variant was defined by an R-value n = 19) showed greater CD3+ T-cell infiltration than the cholestatic variant (n = 19; p +, CD38+, or CD68+ cells. The hepatitic variant had significantly better early and late responses and higher liver-related event-free survival than the cholestatic variants (p < 0.05). Concerning autoimmune liver diseases, the autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) group had significantly more portal T-cell infiltration and better treatment responses than the primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) group. In conclusion, higher portal T-cell infiltration may be associated with better clinical outcomes in patients with hepatic GVHD. Additionally, this study highlights similarities in portal T-cell infiltration and treatment response patterns between AIH and the hepatitic variant, as well as PBC and the cholestatic variant.
