title: Impaired dendritic cell immunophenotype and function in heart transplant patients undergoing active cytomegalovirus infection.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Microbiology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. stefania.varani@cmm.ki.se
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varani
authors.forename: Giada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frascaroli
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gibellini
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Potena
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lazzarotto
authors.forename: Roberto M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lemoli
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Magelli
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Söderberg-Naucler
authors.forename: Maria P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Landini
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral