title: Cytomegalovirus-enhanced development of transplant arteriosclerosis in the rat; effect of timing of infection and recipient responsiveness.
abstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is put forward as a risk factor for transplant arteriosclerosis (TA). In this article, we studied CMV-enhanced development of TA in rats in different donor/recipient combinations in relation to the timing of infection. Recipient rats transplanted with an aortic allograft (BN to Lew) were infected with rat CMV (RCMV) at different time-points relative to transplantation. The virus-induced effects on TA development were also determined in other strain combinations (PVG to AO and DA to WF). Finally, transmission of RCMV from aortic grafts and its effect on TA was studied. RCMV infection enhanced TA development only in Lew recipients and only after infection early post-transplantation (days 1-5). Virus transmission to the recipient only occurred from 5 and 10 days infected aortic donor-grafts, however without affecting TA development. These data indicate that the acute alloresponse and acute CMV infection need to occur simultaneously to enhance TA. This effect, however, appears to be strain combination dependent and therefore cannot be generalized.
authors.affiliation: Section of Immunology and Histology, Department of Cell Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. j.l.hillebrands@med.umcg.nl
authors.forename: Jan-Luuk
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hillebrands
authors.forename: Joanne G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: van Dam
authors.forename: Geanina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Onuta
authors.forename: Flip A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Klatter
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grauls
authors.forename: Cathrien A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bruggeman
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rozing
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000637:transplantation*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D011920:Rats, Inbred WF; D013045:Species Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous