Primary Cytomegalovirus Infection Significantly Impacts Circulating T Cells in Kidney Transplant Recipients.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection profoundly affects the T cell compartment and is associated with alterations in T cell aging parameters and generation of cytotoxic CD4(+) CD28null T cells. Hence, the effect of a primary CMV infection post-kidney transplantation (KT) on the peripheral T cell compartment was examined. As aging parameters, we determined the T cell differentiation status, T cell receptor excision circle (TREC) content, CD31(+) naïve T cell numbers and relative telomere length (RTL) pre-KT and 12 months post-KT. CMV-seronegative KT recipients, receiving a kidney from a CMV-seropositive donor (D+/R-) were compared to D+/R+ KT recipients. Eleven out of the 22 D+/R- KT recipients had CMV viremia post-KT. They developed CMV-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells and their T cell compartment shifted towards a more differentiated memory phenotype with expansion of CD4(+) CD28null and CD8(+) CD28null cells. One year post-KT, the CD8(+) T cell count was almost doubled compared to nonviremic D+/R- and D+/R+ KT recipients. In addition, the RTL of the CD8(+) T cell was significantly lower and both the TREC content and CD31(+) naïve T cell numbers significantly decreased. Moreover, primary CMV infection was associated with a negative impact on glomerular filtration rate. In conclusion, primary CMV infection has a substantial impact on the number and phenotype of peripheral T cells and may negatively affect renal allograft function.
['Meijers|R W J|RW|', 'Litjens|N H R|NH|', 'Hesselink|D A|DA|', 'Langerak|A W|AW|', 'Baan|C C|CC|', 'Betjes|M G H|MG|']
D003587:Cytomegalovirus D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections D005260:Female D005500:Follow-Up Studies D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate D006084:Graft Rejection D006085:Graft Survival D006801:Humans D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic D007677:Kidney Function Tests D016030:Kidney Transplantation D008213:Lymphocyte Activation D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D011183:Postoperative Complications D011379:Prognosis D012307:Risk Factors D013601:T-Lymphocytes D014181:Transplantation Immunology D014779:Virus Replication
T cell biology basic (laboratory) research/science immunobiology infection and infectious agents kidney (allograft) function/dysfunction kidney transplantation/nephrology kidney transplantation: living donor thymus/thymic biology viral: Cytomegalovirus(CMV)