Clinical factors influencing phenotype of HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells and HCMV-induced interferon-gamma production after allogeneic stem cells transplantation

Clin Dev Immunol. 2013:2013:347213. doi: 10.1155/2013/347213. Epub 2013 Feb 2.

Abstract

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection causes significant morbidity and mortality after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In this work, we characterized the phenotype and interferon-gamma (INF-γ) production of HCMV-specific T cells using QuantiFERON-HCMV assay in 26 patients 6 months after HSCT. We analysed whether these two parameters were associated with clinical variables. Our results showed that the patients receiving stem cells from donors ≥40 years old were 12 times more likely to have HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells with "differentiated phenotype" (CD45RA+CCR7+ ≤6.7% and CD28+ ≤30%) than patients grafted from donors <40 years old (OR = 12; P = 0.014). In addition, a detectable IFN-γ production in response to HCMV peptides (cutoff 0.2 IU/mL IFN-γ; "reactive" QuantiFERON-HCMV test) was statistically associated with HCMV replication after transplantation (OR = 11; P = 0.026), recipients ≥40 versus <40 years old (OR = 11; P = 0.026), and the use of peripheral blood versus bone marrow as stem cell source (OR = 17.5; P = 0.024). In conclusion, donor age is the only factor significantly associated with the presence of the "differentiated phenotype" in HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells, whereas HCMV replication after transplantation, recipient age, and stem cell source are the factors associated with the production of IFN-γ in response to HCMV epitopes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antigens, Viral / immunology
  • CD28 Antigens / metabolism
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytomegalovirus / physiology*
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections / etiology
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections / immunology*
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections / physiopathology
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Interferon-gamma / immunology
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Leukocyte Common Antigens / metabolism
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Male
  • Postoperative Complications / immunology*
  • Postoperative Complications / physiopathology
  • Receptors, CCR7 / metabolism
  • Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Tissue Donors
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Virus Replication

Substances

  • Antigens, Viral
  • CCR7 protein, human
  • CD28 Antigens
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • Receptors, CCR7
  • Interferon-gamma
  • Leukocyte Common Antigens