title: Functional impairment of CMV-reactive cellular immunity during pregnancy.
abstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common congenital viral infection. Mother-to-child transmission can cause severe child disability. Intact CMV-specific cell-mediated immunity (CMI) was shown to prevent uncontrolled replication in healthy individuals. This study aimed to determine whether CMV-specific CMI is impaired in pregnant women, thus potentially increasing the overall risk for active CMV replication and transmission. CMV-specific CMI in peripheral blood of 60 pregnant women was determined using T-Track® CMV for detection of IE-1 and pp65-reactive effector cells by IFN-γ ELISpot, and compared to the CMV-IgG and -IgM serostatus. CMV-specific CMI was detected in 65% of CMV-seropositive pregnant women. Five percent of CMV-IgG seronegative women showed IE-1- but not pp65-reactive cells. The overall number of CMV-reactive cells in pregnant women was significantly lower compared to a matched non-pregnant control group (P < 0.001). No significant difference in CMV-specific CMI was detected in the course of the three trimesters of pregnancy of CMV-IgG seropositive women. Postpartum (median days postnatal = 123), IE-1- and pp65-specific CMI remained significantly lower than in the non-pregnant control group (P < 0.001 and 0.0032, respectively). Functional analysis of CMV-reactive immune cells using T-Track® CMV therefore suggests a systemic down-regulation of CMV-specific CMI in pregnant women. Further studies are needed to investigate whether this may be indicative of a higher susceptibility to CMV reactivation or transmission. J. Med. Virol. 89:324-331, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Regensburg, Hospital of the Barmherzige Brueder, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reuschel
authors.affiliation: Lophius Biosciences GmbH, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barabas
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Studies, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zeman
authors.affiliation: Lophius Biosciences GmbH, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bendfeldt
authors.affiliation: Lophius Biosciences GmbH, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rascle
authors.affiliation: Lophius Biosciences GmbH, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ludwig
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deml
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Regensburg, Hospital of the Barmherzige Brueder, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Seelbach-Goebel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D058501:Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: cell-mediated immunity; cytomegalovirus; interferon (IFN)-γ-enzyme-assay ELISpot; pregnancy