ISSN : 1301-5680
e-ISSN : 2149-8156
Turkish Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery     
A preliminary study of tracking B-cell kinetics in patients with lung transplantation by monitoring kappa-deleting recombination excision circles
Zeynep Akbulut1, Tuba Akdeniz2, Mustafa Vayvada3, Merih Kalamanoğlu4, Ali Yeğinsu5, Gülderen Yanıkkaya Demirel6, Cemal Asım Kutlu7
1Maltepe University, Cancer and Stem Cell Research Center, Istanbul, Türkiye
2Department of Molecular Medicine, Yeditepe University Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
3Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kartal Koşuyolu High Specialization Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
4Department of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis, Bahçeşehir University Hospital, Medical Park Göztepe, Istanbul, Türkiye
5Department of Thoracic Surgery, Yeni Yüzyıl University Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
6Department of Immunology, Yeditepe University Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
7Department of Thoracic Surgery, Bahçeşehir University Hospital, Medical Park Göztepe, Istanbul, Türkiye
DOI : 10.5606/tgkdc.dergisi.2022.21672
Background: This study aims to evaluate humoral immune system response by measuring copy numbers of kappa-deleting recombination excision circles (KREC) gene segment from B lymphocytes in patients with lung transplantation.

Methods: Between September 2015 and November 2016, a total of 11 patients (8 males, 3 females; mean age: 45.4±12.0 years; range, 23 to 59 years) who underwent lung transplantation with different primary indications were included. The copy numbers of KREC gene segment were quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction method in peripheral blood samples collected pre- and post-transplantation. The samples of the patients were compared with the KREC l evels i n deoxyribonucleic acid extracted from blood samples of healthy children.

Results: There was no significant change in KREC levels between pre- and post-operation (p=0.594 and p=0.657), although the median values indicated that the highest increase in the KREC levels (7¥105- 12¥105; 85-170) was on Day 7 of transplantation. There was a positive correlation between the KREC levels (mL in blood) and lymphocytes at 24 h after transplantation (p=0.043) and between KREC copies per 106 of blood and age on Day 7.

Conclusion: Our preliminary results suggest that KREC l evels a s an indicator of B lymphocyte production are elevated after lung transplantation. A prognostic algorithm by tracking B cell kinetics after post-transplantation for long-term follow-up can be developed following the confirmation of these preliminary results with more patient samples.

Keywords : B lymphocyte, immune system, kappa-deleting recombination excision circle, lung transplantation
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