Journal of leukocyte biology
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Comparative Study
STAT5 phosphorylation in T cell subsets from septic patients in response to recombinant human interleukin-7: a pilot study.
Septic shock is characterized by lymphocyte alterations associated with increased risk of nosocomial infections and mortality. IL-7, a cytokine required for T cell survival, is thought as a novel therapy for septic patients with severe lymphopenia. We assessed CD4(+) lymphocyte responsiveness to rhIL-7 in septic shock patients ex vivo. ⋯ Importantly, low doses of rhIL-7 preferentially activated Teff versus Treg in patients and nonsurvivors tended to present with decreased pSTAT5 expression. This pilot study is the first to highlight, in septic patients, the interest of pSTAT5 measurement in whole blood for the monitoring of rhIL-7 therapy. Such a method could represent an innovative, biologic tool for monitoring leukocyte pharmacological responses to biotherapies in daily clinical practice in other clinical contexts.