Summary
HaemophiliaA patients treated with human factorVIII (fVIII) may develop antibody (Ab)
inhibitors to fVIII. FVIII-specific CD4+ T cells are common in haemophilia A patients, but also in healthy subjects who do
not have a sustained anti-fVIII Ab response. Here, we examined the fVIII-induced IFNγ
-, IL-4- and TGF- β 1-producing CD4+ T blasts by culturing peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from controls and
patients with recombinant fVIII. FVIII exposure significantly increased IFNγ - and
IL-4-, but not TGF-β 1-producing CD4+ T blasts in patients with inhibitors. Patients without inhibitors had fVIII-induced
IFNγ - andTGF-β 1-,but not IL-4-producing CD4+ T blasts.Controls did not have IL-4-producing CD4+ T blasts. However, controls whose PMBC proliferated in response to fVIII had fVIII-induced
CD4+ T blasts that produced IFN-γ, the number of which correlated with the intensity of
the proliferative response to fVIII of their PMBC, whereas controls whose PMBC did
not proliferate to fVIII had predominantly fVIII-induced CD4+ T blasts that producedTGF- β 1.The presence in controls and patients without inhibitors
of fVIII-induced IFN-γ -producing CD4 + T cells, but not IL-4-producing CD4+ T cells, which are abundant in inhibitor patients, suggests a role of Th1 cells in
initiating the immune response to fVIII, and of Th2 cells in the development of strong
inhibitor production. The polarized high ratios of Th3/Th1 and Th3/Th2 in controls
and patients without inhibitors suggest that a preponderance ofTh3 cells in the response
to fVIII may help to maintain tolerance to fVIII.
Keywords
CD4
+ T cells - cytokines - factor VIII - hemophilia A - inhibitors