title: Protection From Varicella Zoster in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients Carrying Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor B Haplotypes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Natural killer cell function is regulated by inhibitory and activating killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR). Previous studies have documented associations of KIR genotype with the risk of cytomegalovirus (CMV) replication after solid organ transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study of 649 solid organ transplant recipients, followed prospectively for infectious disease events within the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study, we were interested to see if KIR genotype associated with virus infections other than CMV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that KIR B haplotypes (which have previously been linked to protection from CMV replication) were associated with protection from varicella zoster virus infection (hazard ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.91; P = 0.03). No significant associations were detected regarding the risk of herpes simplex, Epstein-Barr virus or BK polyomavirus infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, these data provide evidence that the relative protection of KIR haplotype B from viral replication after solid organ transplantation may extend beyond CMV to other herpes viruses, such as varicella zoster virus and possibly Epstein-Barr virus.
authors.affiliation: 1 Immunotherapy Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland. 2 Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland. 3 Transplantation and Clinical Virology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 4 Departments of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Clinica Luganese, Lugano, Switzerland. 5 Department of Infectious Diseases, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. 6 Service of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland. 7 Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Hygiene, Kantonsspital, St. Gallen, Switzerland. 8 Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. 9 Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland. 10 Transplant Immunology Unit, Division of Immunology and Allergy, University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland. 11 Infectious Diseases Service and Transplantation Center, University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Switzerland. 12 Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schmied
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Terszowski
authors.forename: Asensio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schmitter
authors.forename: Hans H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garzoni
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van Delden
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boggian
authors.forename: Nicolas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villard
authors.forename: Oriol
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Manuel
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meylan
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stern
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006239:Haplotypes; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054340:Receptors, KIR / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D066027:Transplant Recipients; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D054340:Receptors, KIR