title: Differential effects of age, cytomegalovirus-seropositivity and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on circulating T lymphocyte subsets.
abstract: The age- and cytomegalovirus (CMV)-seropositivity-related changes in subsets and differentiation of circulating T cells were investigated in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients (n = 139) and age-matched healthy individuals. The results show that CMV-seropositivity is associated with expansion of both CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells which is already observed in young healthy individuals. In addition, CMV-seropositive healthy individuals have a more differentiated memory T cell profile. Only CMV-seropositive healthy individuals showed an age-dependent decrease in CD4+ naïve T cells. The age-related decrease in the number of CD8+ naïve T cells was CMV-independent. In contrast, all ESRD patients showed a profound naïve T-cell lymphopenia at every decade. CMV-seropositivity aggravated the contraction of CD4+ naïve T cells and increased the number of differentiated CD4+ and CD8+ memory T cells. In conclusion, CMV-seropositivity markedly alters the homeostasis of circulating T cells in healthy individuals and aggravates the T cell dysregulation observed in ESRD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. n.litjens@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Nicolle Hr
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Litjens
authors.forename: Elly A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: de Wit
authors.forename: Michiel Gh
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Betjes