Establishment of a mouse model of skin-dominant chronic graft-versus-host disease

Abstract

Objective To construct a mouse model of skin-dominant chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). Methods BALB/c mice were irradiated with lethal dose and then received a mixture of bone marrow and spleen cells transplantation from B10.D2 donor mice. Then the clinical manifestations, pathological features of the mice and cell subsets of targeted organs were observed to evaluate the establishment of model. Results The clinical manifestations of the model mice mainly involved skin depilation, sclerosis, dandruff, scab, as well as arched back and joint stiffness due to skin shrinkage and sclerosis. The clinicopathological scores were increased with the progression of cGVHD, while the model mice showed no obvious manifestations of intestinal cGVHD. Moreover, increase of collagen deposition and decrease or even disappearance of hair follicles was observed on the histopathologic sections of skin, while other targeted organs showed no major alterations. T cell subsets analysis indicated that Th1 cells, CD4+IL-13+T cells and Tc1 cells were closely related to the disease progression. Conclusion The skin-dominant cGVHD mouse model is successfully established, with skin damage and fibrosis as main pathological changes.

Keywords

• chronic graft-versus-host disease
• skin
• liver
• ung
• t lymphocytes