title: Reconstitution of cytomegalovirus-specific T-cell response in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell recipients: the contribution of six frequently recognized, virus-encoded ORFs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The reactivation of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in immunosuppressed patients is associated with significant morbidity. Testing HCMV-specific T-cell responses can help determine which patients are at high risk of HCMV disease. We optimized selection of HCMV antigens for detection of T-cell response of patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with the aim of identifying patients with insufficient control of HCMV reactivation.
  
  
  METHODS
  T-cell immune response to HCMV was monitored in 30 patients during the first year after HSCT. The HSCT recipients were classified according to their anti-HCMV T-cell response and the presence of HCMV DNA in the blood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed an inverse relationship between the magnitude of HCMV-specific T-cell responses against CMV lysate, phosphoprotein (pp) 65, immediate early-1 (IE-1), UL36, and UL55, but not to US3 and US29 detected by interferon-gamma (IFNγ)- ELISPOT and the level of HCMV DNA in the blood of patients during the 30 days following sampling. The study has revealed that patients who received a graft from a seronegative donor have a lower T-cell response against HCMV and increased probability of HCMV reactivation in comparison to the patients who had received their graft from a seropositive donor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The individual peptide pools and native HCMV antigens were useful for monitoring the time course of the anti-HCMV response by IFNγ-ELISPOT, which proved to have a prognostic value. Besides widely employed peptide pools of pp65 and IE-1, the use of antigens UL36 and UL55, but not US3 or US29, increased sensitivity of the test.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nemeckova
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krystofova
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Babiarova
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hainz
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Musil
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sroller
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maly
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Ward, Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stastna-Markova
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D058501:Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: ELISPOT; T cell; allogeneic stem cell transplantation; human cytomegalovirus; interferon-gamma