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Journal of Virology, October 2007, p. 11538-11542, Vol. 81, No. 20
0022-538X/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.00581-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Viral Recrudescence in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients and Its Relationship with the Antigen-Specific CD8⁺ T-Cell Response

Australian Centre for Vaccine Development and Tumour Immunology Laboratory, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, 300 Herston Road, Brisbane, Queensland 4029, Australia,¹ School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia,² Department of Haematology, Prince of Wales Hospital and Centre for Vascular Research, University of New South Wales, Kensington 2052, Australia,⁴ The Prince Charles Hospital, Rode Road, Chermside, and Department of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia,⁵ Department of Nephrology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, and Department of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia³

Received 19 March 2007/ Accepted 26 July 2007

Using ex vivo antigen-specific T-cell analysis, we found that symptomatic cytomegalovirus recrudescence in transplant recipients was coincident with reduced expression of gamma interferon (IFN-) by virus-specific CD8⁺ T cells and an up-regulation of CD38 expression on these T cells, although there was no significant change in the absolute number of virus-specific cells (as assessed by major histocompatibility complex-peptide multimers). In contrast, HLA class I-matched transplant patients with asymptomatic viral recrudescence showed increased expansion of antigen-specific T cells and highly stable IFN- expression by epitope-specific T cells. These studies suggest that a strong functional T-cell response plays a crucial role in defining the clinical outcome of acute viral recrudescence.

Published ahead of print on 8 August 2007.