Association of CMV-specific T-cell immunity and risk of CMV infection in lung transplant recipients

Veit, Tobias; Pan, Ming; Munker, Dieter; Arnold, Paola; Dick, Andrea; Kunze, Susanne; Meiser, Bruno; Schneider, Christian; Michel, Sebastian; Zoller, Michael; Böhm, Stephan; Walter, Julia; Behr, Jürgen; Kneidinger, Nikolaus und Kauke, Teresa (2021): Association of CMV-specific T-cell immunity and risk of CMV infection in lung transplant recipients. In: Clinical Transplantation, Bd. 35, Nr. 6, e14294

Abstract

Background Protecting against CMV infection and maintaining CMV in latent state are largely provided by CMV-specific T-cells in lung transplant recipients. The aim of the study was to assess whether a specific T-cell response is associated with the risk for CMV infection in seronegative patients who are at high risk for delayed CMV infection. Methods All CMV-seronegative recipients (R-) from CMV-seropositive donors (D+) between January 2018 and April 2019 were included and retrospectively screened for CMV infection before and after assessment of CMV-specific cell-mediated immunity. Results Thirty-one of the 50 patients (62%) developed early-onset CMV infection. Lower absolute neutrophil counts were significantly associated with early-onset CMV infection. Antiviral prophylaxis was ceased after 137.2 +/- 42.8 days. CMV-CMI were measured at a median of 5.5 months after LTx. 19 patients experienced early and late-onset CMV infection after prophylaxis withdrawal within 15 months post transplantation. Positive CMV-CMI was significantly associated with lower risk of late-onset CMV infection after transplantation in logistic and cox-regression analysis (OR=0.05, p = .01;OR=2,369, p = .026). Conclusion D+/R- lung transplant recipients are at high risk of developing early and late-onset CMV infection. Measurement of CMV-CMI soon after transplantation might further define the CMV infection prediction risk in LTx recipients being at high risk for CMV viremia.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Medizin
• Themengebiete: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften > 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
• ISSN: 0902-0063
• Sprache: Englisch