Frontiers in Immunology (Jul 2021)

Significant Associations of IgG Glycan Structures With Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease Manifestations: Results of the Cross-Sectional NIH Cohort Study

  • Ema Prenc,
  • Ema Prenc,
  • Drazen Pulanic,
  • Drazen Pulanic,
  • Maja Pucic-Bakovic,
  • Ivo Ugrina,
  • Ivo Ugrina,
  • Lana Desnica,
  • Milan Milosevic,
  • Milan Milosevic,
  • Filip Pirsl,
  • Sandra Mitchell,
  • Jeremy Rose,
  • Radovan Vrhovac,
  • Radovan Vrhovac,
  • Damir Nemet,
  • Damir Nemet,
  • Gordan Lauc,
  • Steven Z. Pavletic

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.633214
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

Read online

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) is a systemic alloimmune and autoimmune disorder and a major late complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT). The disease is characterized by an altered homeostasis of the humoral immune response. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) glycoprotein is the main effector molecule of the humoral immune response. Changes in IgG glycosylation are associated with a number of autoimmune diseases. IgG glycosylation analysis was done by the means of liquid chromatography in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) cohort of 213 cGvHD patients. The results showed statistically significant differences with regards to cGvHD NIH joint/fascia and skin score, disease activity and intensity of systemic immunosuppression. ROC analysis confirmed that IgG glycosylation increases specificity and sensitivity of models using laboratory parameters and markers of inflammation associated with cGvHD (eosinophil count, complement components C3 and C4 and inflammation markers: albumin, CRP and thrombocyte count). This research shows that IgG glycosylation may play a significant role in cGvHD pathology. Further research could contribute to the understanding of the disease biology and lead to the clinical biomarker development to allow personalized approaches to chronic GvHD therapy.

Keywords