title: Monitoring for human cytomegalovirus infection in solid organ transplant recipients through antigenemia and glycoprotein N (gN) variants: evidence of correlation and potential prognostic value of gN genotypes.
abstract: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) ORF UL73 encodes the envelope glycoprotein gpUL73-gN, which shows seven genotypes (gN-1, gN-2, gN-3a, gN-3b, gN-4a, gN-4b, gN-4c). The goal of this study was to determine retrospectively the distribution of gN variants in solid organ transplant recipients with HCMV infection and to establish an association with parameters important for monitoring post-transplantation clinical course during a follow-up of up to 2 years. Peripheral blood leukocytes from 40 solid organ transplant recipients were analysed for pp65-antigen by immunofluorescence and gN genotyped by sequencing or RFLP analysis. A correlation between gN genotypes and antigenemia peak was found, showing a highly significant difference between gN-1 and gN-4b variants (P<0.005). In particular, gN-1 seems to be associated with patients developing low level antigenemia (<50 pp65-positive cells/2 x 10(5) PBLs; PPV = 90%), whereas gN-4b predicts significantly higher values (>50 pp65-positive cells/2 x 10(5) PBLs; PPV = 80%). Furthermore, the onset of positive antigenemia is significantly earlier in patients infected with a gN-4b strain, compared with those infected by a gN-1 variant. Reported data further support a role for gN genotypes in HCMV pathogenesis. gN-1 and gN-4b show a significantly different virulence and could serve as early predictors for the progression of HCMV infection in transplant patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Microbiology Division, St. Orsola General Hospital, University of Bologna, via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Giada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossini
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pignatelli
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dal Monte
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Camozzi
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lazzarotto
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gabrielli
authors.forename: Maria R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gatto
authors.forename: Maria P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Landini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011379:Prognosis; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C417883:glycoprotein N, Human cytomegalovirus