Changes in HCMV immune cell frequency and phenotype are associated with chronic lung allograft dysfunction.

Background: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is common and often severe in lung transplant recipients (LTRs), and it is a risk factor associated with chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). The complex interplay between HCMV and allograft rejection is still unclear. Currently, no treatment is available to reverse CLAD after diagnosis, and the identification of reliable biomarkers that can predict the early development of CLAD is needed.

Persistent CD8 T Cell Marks Caused by the HCMV Infection in Seropositive Adults: Prevalence of HLA-E-Reactive CD8 T Cells.

This study investigated the frequency and peptide specificity of long-lasting HCMV-specific CD8 T cells in a cohort of 120 cytomegalovirus seropositive (HCMV+) healthy carriers with the aim of deciphering the relative contribution of unconventional HLA-E- versus conventional HLA-A2-specific CD8 T cells to long-term T cell memory expansion in HCMV immunity. The presence of HCMV-specific CD8 T cells was investigated by flow cytometry using five MHC/peptide tetramer complexes (HLA-A2/pp65, HLA-A2/IE1 and three different HLA-E/UL40). Here, we report that 50% of HCMV+ healthy individuals possess HCMV-specific CD8 T cells, representing ≥0.

Distinctive phenotype for HLA-E- versus HLA-A2-restricted memory CD8 αβT cells in the course of HCMV infection discloses features shared with NKG2CCD57NK and δ2γδT cell subsets.

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) triggers both innate and adaptive immune responses, including protective CD8 αβT cells (CD8T) that contributes to the control of the infection. In addition to CD8T restricted by classical HLA class Ia molecules, HCMV also triggers CD8T recognizing peptides from the HCMV UL40 leader peptide and restricted by HLA-E molecules (HLA-E CD8T). This study investigated the frequency, phenotype and functions of HLA-E CD8T in comparison to the immunodominant HLA-A2 CD8T upon acute (primary or secondary infection) or chronic infection in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) and in seropositive (HCMV) healthy volunteer (HV) hosts.

Advances in Endothelial Cell Biology: From Knowledge to Control.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide an overview of recent investigations in the field of endothelial cell (EC) biology that advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that trigger normal EC functions and dysfunctions in pathologies and to demonstrate how improved knowledge of EC biology may lead to the discovery of novel molecular diagnostic technologies and targeted therapeutics [...