title: Detection of adenovirus-specific T cells in children with adenovirus infection after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
abstract: Human adenovirus (ADV) infection is an important complication post allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT), especially in children, with significant morbidity and mortality despite new antiviral treatment strategies. Although the control of infection seems to require T cells, characterization of ADV-specific T cells post-SCT has not been reported to date. Therefore, we prospectively studied the occurrence of ADV-specific T cells in children with (n = 21) and without (n = 25) ADV-infection postallogeneic SCT and in healthy donors (n = 53). ADV-associated mortality occurred in seven of 21 children. After stimulation ex vivo with ADV-lysate, interferon-gamma-secreting T cells were analysed by flow cytometry. All the patients with ADV-associated mortality had no specific T cells, although reconstitution of absolute lymphocyte counts exceeded 0.3 x 10(9)/l within 30 d post-transplant. Patients who cleared ADV infection had significantly higher frequencies (mean +/- standard deviation, 0.56 +/- 0.5%) of ADV-specific T cells until day 200 post-SCT, than patients without ADV-infection (0.12 +/- 0.1%). These data suggest that ADV-specific T-cell reconstitution is protective against life-threatening ADV-infections postallogeneic SCT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University Children's Hospital, Eberhard Karls University, D 72076 Tuebingen, Germany. tsfeucht@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Feuchtinger
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lücke
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamprecht
authors.forename: Celine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: Rupert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Handgretinger
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schumm
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greil
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bock
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Niethammer
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D000258:Adenovirus Infections, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D007371:Interferon-gamma