title: Human cytomegalovirus-specific immunity following haemopoietic stem cell transplantation.
abstract: The herpesvirus Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an important opportunistic infection in recipients of allogeneic haemopoietic stem cell transplants, in whom HCMV-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell responses are impaired. The nature of the HCMV-specific T-cell response in healthy virus carriers has been characterised in detail. High frequencies of circulating CD8+ T-cells that recognise defined viral peptides are maintained for years, and include individual CD8+ clones that have undergone extensive clonal expansion and phenotypic diversification in vivo. Following stem cell transplantation, the kinetics of HCMV-specific CD8+ T-cell reconstitution in the recipient are related to the presence or absence of antigen-experienced CD8+ T-cells transferred via the allograft, and to the presence of the virus in the recipient. We discuss recent progress in our understanding of HCMV-specific immunity in healthy virus carriers and in recipients after alloSCT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge Clinical School, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Maher K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Gandhi
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Wills
authors.forename: J G Patrick
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Sissons
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Carmichael
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000276:immunology