title: Evaluation of cytomegalovirus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes in patients with the HLA-A*02 or HLA-A*24 phenotype undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
abstract: Cytomegalovirus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CMV-CTL) are essential for the control of CMV reactivation. To monitor the quantity and function of CMV-CTL after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), two CMV epitopes that bind to HLA-A*0201 NLVPMVATV (A*02NLV) and HLA-A*2402 QYDPVAALF (A*24QYD) were evaluated for their immunological potential. Samples from patients with the HLA-A*02 or HLA-A*24 serotype were analyzed by tetramer, intracellular cytokine staining and enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay. There were significantly more A*02NLV-specific CMV-CTL than A*24QYD (23 x 10(6) vs 0.4 x 10(6)/l). The frequency of IFN-gamma-producing cells was also higher upon stimulation with A*02NLV than with A*24QYD (2.5 vs 0.1%/CD8). Furthermore, the magnitude of CMV-CTL expansion was two- to 50-fold when cells were cultured with A*02NLV, while only an insignificant increase was observed in culture with A*24QYD. Although the number of A*24QYD-specific CMV-CTL was very low in most of the HLA-A*24 patients, the incidence of CMV reactivation did not differ between those with HLA-A*02 and HLA-A*24 serotype alone. These results suggest that an epitope other than A*24QYD plays a major role in patients with HLA-A*24. Our study also showed that A*02NLV may be a useful epitope for monitoring CMV-CTL not only in patients with HLA-A*0201 but also in those with the A*0206 genotype.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, National Cancer Center Hospital, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosokawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ebisawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugita
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takaue
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Heike
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D059871:HLA-A24 Antigen; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D010641:Phenotype; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; C435939:HLA-A*02:01 antigen; C438506:HLA-A*24:02 antigen; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D059871:HLA-A24 Antigen; D007371:Interferon-gamma