title: Monitoring of human cytomegalovirus-specific CD4 and CD8 T-cell immunity in patients receiving solid organ transplantation.
abstract: Absolute and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts were monitored in 38 solid organ (20 heart, 9 lung and 9 kidney) transplant recipients during the first year after transplantation by a novel assay based on T-cell stimulation with HCMV-infected autologous dendritic cells. According to the pattern of T-cell restoration occurring either within the first month after transplantation or later, patients were classified as either early (n = 21) or late responders (n = 17). HCMV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts were consistently lower in late compared to early responders from baseline through 6 months after transplantation. In addition, in late responders, while HCMV infection preceded immune restoration, HCMV-specific CD4+ restoration was significantly delayed with respect to CD8+ T-cell restoration. The number of HCMV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells detected prior to transplantation significantly correlated with time to T-cell immunity restoration, in that higher HCMV-specific T-cell counts predicted earlier immune restoration. Clinically, the great majority of early responders (18/21, 85.7%) underwent self-resolving HCMV infections (p = 0.004), whereas the great majority of late responders (13/17, 76.5%) were affected by HCMV infections requiring antiviral treatment (p = <0.0001). Simultaneous monitoring of HCMV infection and HCMV-specific T-cell immunity predicts T-cell-mediated control of HCMV infection.
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Virologia, Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy. g.gerna@smatteo.pv.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gerna
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lilleri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fornara
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Comolli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lozza
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campana
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pellegrini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meloni
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rampino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral