CD4⁺ T Cells Coexpressing CD134 (OX40) Harbor Significantly Increased Levels of Human Herpesvirus 6B DNA Following Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 214; no. 12; pp. 1911 - 1915
• Main Authors: Pritchett, Joshua C., Green, Jaime S., Thomm, Angela M., Knox, Konstance K., Verneris, Michael R., Lund, Troy C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Oxford University Press 15.12.2016
• Subjects: Adult; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - chemistry; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - virology; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - chemistry; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - virology; Child; Cohort Studies; DNA, Viral - analysis; DNA, Viral - genetics; DNA, Viral - isolation & purification; Female; Fetal Blood - virology; Herpesvirus 6, Human - isolation & purification; Humans; Infant; Major and Brief Reports; Male; Middle Aged; Receptors, OX40 - analysis; Roseolovirus Infections - virology; Transplantation - adverse effects; VIRUSES; Young Adult; OX40; umbilical cord blood transplantation; herpesvirus; CD134; HHV-6
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiw469

Human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) commonly reactivates after umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) and is associated with delayed engraftment, fever, rash, and central nervous system dysfunction. Recently, CD134 (OX40) has been implicated as a potential viral entry receptor. We evaluated CD4⁺CD134⁺/neg-lo and CD8⁺CD134⁺/neg-lo cells at day 28 after UCBT in 20 subjects with previously documented HHV-6 reactivation and persistent viremia. Analysis of CD4⁺CD134⁺ cells as compared to CD4⁺CD134neg-lo cells showed 0.308 versus 0.129 copies of HHV-6B/cell (P = .0002). CD8⁺CD134+/neg-lo cells contained little to no HHV-6B copies. Following UCBT, CD4⁺CD134⁺ cells harbor significantly increased levels of HHV-6B, suggesting that CD134 (OX40) may facilitate viral entry.