[Clinical value of ATP determination in CD4+ cells of patients with cytomegaloviral pneumonia after kidney transplantation].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the clinical value of determination of ATP levels in CD4(+) cells of patients with cytomegaloviral pneumonia after kidney transplantation.


METHODS
Twenty-eight patients with cytomegaloviral pneumonia following kidney transplantation and 30 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. ATP-bioluminescence assay (ATP-CVA) was used to assess the immune response of CD4(+) cells to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation in the normal volunteers and the recipients (before and at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after renal transplantation, before and at 2 and 4 week after the treatment).


RESULTS
ATP concentration in CD4(+) cells of the recipients was 402-/+58 ng/ml before the operation, significantly lower than that in normal volunteers (458-/+196 ng/ml, P<0.05), and reached the lowest level in the first week after operation especially in the recipients with antibody-inducing therapy; ATP level increased slowly since week 2 post-operation, but still remained significantly lower than the preoperative by the fourth week (266-/+87 ng/ml, P<0.05), especially in the recipients receiving antibody-inducing therapy. In the event of cytomegaloviral pneumonia, ATP level underwent a mild reduction to 152-/+78 ng/ml in comparison with the postoperative level at the first week (P>0.05), and was significantly lower than preoperative level (P<0.01); the decrease was especially obvious during the exacerbation of the condition. ATP level then increased slowly after effective treatment, but was still lower than the preoperative level at 4 weeks after the operation (336-/+92 ng/ml, P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The determination of ATP level in CD4(+) cells allows more accurate assessment of the cellular immunity in the renal transplant recipients with cytomegaloviral pneumonia to help in the clinical treatment of the patients.
Zhang
Chang-zheng
CZ
Department of Immunology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. zhangcz158@163.com
Nie
Hai-bo
HB
Zhu
Yun-song
YS
Chen
Zheng-liang
ZL
Hu
Wei-lie
WL
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate