Proliferative T cell responses to four human cytomegalovirus-specific proteins in healthy subjects and solid organ transplant recipients.
It is still poorly understood which of the cytomegalovirus (CMV)-induced proteins are important for the host's cellular immunity during active infection and for establishing latency. To answer this question, in vitro proliferative T cell responses to four recombinant CMV proteins were compared and compared with responses to CMV-infected fibroblasts in immunocompetent healthy CMV-seropositive subjects and immunocompromised organ transplant recipients. The proteins studied were the lower matrix protein pp65 (ppUL83), the DNA-binding protein p52 (ppUL44), and the two immediate-early proteins IE1 (UL123) and IE2 (UL122). In healthy persons, pp65 was the most important protein with respect to its ability to induce a proliferative T cell response. In transplant recipients, severe suppression of the responses to these CMV proteins was found. This finding may be clinically relevant in view of the occurrence and course of CMV infection in these patients.
van Zanten
J
J
Department of Clinical Immunology, University Hospital, Groningen, Netherlands.
Harmsen
M C
MC
van der Meer
P
P
van der Bij
W
W
van Son
W J
WJ
van der Giessen
M
M
Prop
J
J
de Leij
L
L
The
T H
TH
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D005333:Fetus; D005347:Fibroblasts; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012016:Reference Values; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C072217:ICP36 protein, Cytomegalovirus; C088645:IE1 protein, cytomegalovirus; C069186:IE2 protein, Cytomegalovirus; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; C077406:UL115 protein, Human herpesvirus 5; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C065418:cytomegalovirus matrix protein 65kDa; C071440:glycoprotein H, Cytomegalovirus; C499358:glycoprotein H, Human cytomegalovirus; C439068:glycoprotein O, cytomegalovirus