JCV-specific T-cells producing IFN-gamma are differently associated with PmL occurrence in HIV patients and liver transplant recipients

• Published in: The New microbiologica Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 85 - 89
• Main Authors: Agrati, Chiara, Izzo, Luciano, Berno, Giulia, Cimini, Eleonora, Bordoni, Veronica, Giancola, Maria L, Baldini, Francesco, Colasanti, Marco, Ettorre, Giuseppe M, Izzo, Paolo, Pugliese, Federico, Angrisani, Marco, Di Cello, Pierfrancesco, Capobianchi, Maria R, Bolognese, Antonio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Italy 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Female; HIV Infections - complications; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Infections - surgery; HIV Infections - virology; HIV-1 - genetics; HIV-1 - immunology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Interferon-gamma - genetics; Interferon-gamma - immunology; JC Virus - genetics; JC Virus - immunology; JC Virus - isolation & purification; Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal - etiology; Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal - immunology; Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal - virology; Liver Transplantation; Male; Middle Aged; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - virology; Transplant Recipients
• ISSN: 1121-7138

Aim of this work was to investigate a possible correlation between the frequency of JCV-specific T-cells and PML occurrence in HIV-infected subjects and in liver transplant recipients. A significant decrease of JCV-specific T-cells was observed in HIV-PML subjects, highlighting a close relation between JCV-specific T-cell immune impairment and PML occurrence in HIV-subjects. Interestingly, liver-transplant recipients (LTR) showed a low frequency of JCV-specific T-cells, similar to HIV-PML subjects. Nevertheless, none of the enrolled LTR developed PML, suggesting the existence of different immunological mechanisms involved in the maintenance of a protective immune response in LTR.