Impaired dendritic cell immunophenotype and function in heart transplant patients undergoing active cytomegalovirus infection.
BACKGROUND
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infects dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro and inhibits their maturation properties and their ability to stimulate T-cell proliferation and cytotoxicity. This study analyzed HCMV infection of DCs in vivo.


METHODS
We compared blood DCs and monocyte-derived DCs from heart-transplant patients undergoing an acute HCMV infection with DCs obtained from HCMV-negative transplant patients. Diagnosis of active HCMV infection was established by antigenemia test.


RESULTS
We detected viral RNA and antigens in defined DC subsets obtained from patients undergoing an active HCMV infection. In addition, we found an impaired immunophenotype in immature DCs from HCMV-positive subjects and a reduced ability of mature DCs from the same group of patients to stimulate allogenic T-cell proliferation.


CONCLUSIONS
The impaired immunophenotype and function detected in DCs from transplant patients undergoing an active HCMV infection may be a mechanism used by the virus to interfere with early immune functions and thereby contributing to the HCMV-induced immunosuppression in these patients.
Varani
Stefania
S
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Microbiology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. stefania.varani@cmm.ki.se
Frascaroli
Giada
G
Gibellini
Davide
D
Potena
Luciano
L
Lazzarotto
Tiziana
T
Lemoli
Roberto M
RM
Magelli
Carlo
C
Söderberg-Naucler
Cecilia
C
Landini
Maria P
MP
D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000276:immunology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral