Conference paper

Publication year: 2013

Pages: 1608-1610

Journal: Transplantation Proceedings

Volume number: 45

Issue number: 4

ISSN: 0041-1345

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.transproceed.2013.01.026

Conference: Berlin Symposium on Xenotransplantation / 24th International Congress of the Transplantation-Society (TTS)

Publisher: Elsevier

Abstract: 
Polyomavirus-associated graft nephropathy (PAN) has emerged as a significant risk factor for kidney graft loss. We analyzed intracellular cytokine responses for possible protective versus permissive immunologic effects on BK-virus replication. One hundred five renal transplant patients included in a prospective single-center study were randomized to receive cyclosporine mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) (CM: n = 31), tacrolimus (Tac)/MMF (TM: n = 32) or Tac/MMF with conversion to everolimus (TErl; n = 32). Ten patients were not randomized (NR) due to contraindications to MMF. The immunosuppressive therapy was monitored pre- and posttransplantation at 4, 12, and 24 months using triple fluorescence flow cytometry for intracellular interleukin (II)-2 II-4 and interferon (IFN)-gamma production in phorbol myristate acetate- and lipopolysaccharide- stimulated lymphocyte cultures. BK viremia screening was performed by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing on days 0, 14, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 270, 360, and 720. Seven of 105 (6.7%) patients developed biopsy-proven PAN (CM: n = 1, TM: n = 3, TErl: n = 2, NR: n = 1), among whom 4 lost their grafts (TM: n = 1, TErl: n = 2, NR: n = 1). Twenty-one of 105 (20.0%) patients had documented BK viremia. BK viremia which preceded PAN in all cases, was significantly associated with TM immunosuppression: 4/31 (12.9%) CM: 11/32 (34.4%) TM; 5/32 (15.6%) TErl, and 1/10 (10.0%) NR patients (P = .034). BK-viremic patients showed significantly diminished CD8(+) T-cell II-2 production at 120 days (P = .011) and 1 year posttransplantation (P = .014) compared with non-BK-viremic patients. Patients with PAN displayed significantly lower CD4(+) T-cell II-4 responses at 1 and 2 years after transplantation (1 year: P = .007; 2 years: P = .001) with diminished IFN-gamma responses at 1 year after transplantation (P = .011). Our analysis showed the incidence of BK viremia to be increased among patients with defective cytotoxic CD8(+) T-cell -dependent immune reactivity. Recipients who progressed from BK viremia to overt PAN showed an additional immunologic defect in CD4(+) T-cell function. Patients on a Tac- plus MMF-based immunosuppression were at higher risk to develop BK viremia.

Harvard Citation style: Renner, F., Dietrich, H., Bulut, N., Celik, D., Freitag, E., Gaertner, N., et al. (2013) The Risk of Polyomavirus-Associated Graft Nephropathy Is Increased by a Combined Suppression of CD8 and CD4 Cell-Dependent Immune Effects, Transplantation Proceedings, 45(4), pp. 1608-1610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.transproceed.2013.01.026

APA Citation style: Renner, F., Dietrich, H., Bulut, N., Celik, D., Freitag, E., Gaertner, N., Karoui, S., Mark, J., Raatz, C., Weimer, R., & Feustel, A. (2013). The Risk of Polyomavirus-Associated Graft Nephropathy Is Increased by a Combined Suppression of CD8 and CD4 Cell-Dependent Immune Effects. Transplantation Proceedings. 45(4), 1608-1610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.transproceed.2013.01.026