The association between acute graft-versus-host disease and antimicrobial peptide expression in the gastrointestinal tract after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Intestinal microbiota disruption is associated with acute gastrointestinal (GI) Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD) and poor outcome after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Here, in a retrospective analysis of 200 patients undergoing ASCT at the Regensburg University Medical Center, we assessed the relative expression of Paneth cell antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), Human Defensins (HD) 5 and 6 and regenerating islet-derived 3α (Reg3α), in 292 human intestinal biopsies as well as Reg3α serum levels in relation to acute GI GvHD. In the absence of GI GvHD, the relative expression of Paneth cell AMPs was significantly higher in the small intestine (duodenum to ileum) than in the stomach and large intestine (cecum to rectum) for Reg3α (p≤0.001), HD5 (p≤0.002) and HD6 (p≤0.02). Acute stage 2–4 GI GvHD was associated with reduced expression of AMPs in the small intestine (p≤0.01) in comparison to stage 0–1 disease, accompanied by a decrease in Paneth cell count in case of severe acute GI GvHD (p<0.001). The opposite held true for the large intestine as we found stage 2–4 GI GvHD correlated with significantly higher expression of HD5, HD6, and Reg3α compared to mild or no acute GI GvHD (p≤0.002). Severe GI GvHD in both the lower and the upper GI tract also correlated with higher serum concentrations of Reg3α (p = 0.002). As indirect markers of intestinal microbiome diversity low levels of urinary 3-indoxyl sulfate levels were associated with severe stages of acute GI GvHD compared to mild stage or no acute GI GvHD (p = 0.05). In conclusion, acute GI GvHD correlates with intestinal expression of HD5, HD6 and Reg3α as well as Reg3α serum levels and is associated with intestinal dysbiosis.