Varicella-zoster virus glycoproteins B and E are major targets of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells reconstituting during zoster after allogeneic transplantation.

Background: After allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation patients are at increased risk for herpes zoster as long as varicella-zoster virus specific T-cell reconstitution is impaired. This study aimed to identify immunodominant varicella-zoster virus antigens that drive recovery of virus-specific T cells after transplantation.

Design And Methods: Antigens were purified from a varicella-zoster virus infected cell lysate by high-performance liquid chromatography and were identified by quantitative mass spectrometric analysis.

Functional reconstitution of the human chemokine receptor CXCR4 with G(i)/G (o)-proteins in Sf9 insect cells.

The chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha (SDF-1alpha) binds to the chemokine receptor CXCR4 that couples to pertussis toxin-sensitive G-proteins of the G(i)/G(o)-family. CXCR4 plays a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, human immunodeficiency virus infection and various tumors, fetal development as well as endothelial progenitor and T-cell recruitment. To this end, most CXCR4 studies have focused on the cellular level.

No association between renin-angiotensin system gene polymorphisms and early and long-term allograft dysfunction in kidney transplant recipients.

Background: Genes determining the activity of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may be alloantigen-independent factors influencing kidney allograft function. We determined if gene polymorphisms of the RAS are associated with early and long-term post-transplantation graft dysfunction in 405 Caucasian kidney recipients with graft survivals of >2 years.

Methods: We calculated the slopes of serum creatinine(-1)/year and urinary protein excretion/year to follow graft function over time.