Measurement of anti-human cytomegalovirus T cell reactivity in transplant recipients and its potential clinical use: a mini-review.
By allowing direct determination of the frequencies of antigen-specific memory T cells in peripheral blood, novel techniques based on flow cytometry provide new diagnostic opportunities in various clinical settings, including organ transplantation. While the importance of the T cell compartment for the anti-human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immune response is undisputed, efficient monitoring of this response was previously impossible because the conventional methods for measuring CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses are too time-consuming and cost-intensive. We analyzed how the rapid induction of anti-HCMV CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells by HCMV viral lysate or HCMV-derived peptides, respectively, followed by a flow-cytometric detection step, may be used to monitor HCMV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells in solid-organ recipients. We also discuss a number of preconditions for integrating such testing into the clinical routine.
Kern
F
F
Institut für Medizinische Immunologie, Charité (Medizinische Fakultät der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Berlin, Deutschland. florian.kern@charite.de
Faulhaber
N
N
Khatamzas
E
E
Frömmel
C
C
Ewert
R
R
Prösch
S
S
Volk
H
H
Reinke
P
P
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016377:Organ Transplantation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*