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Updated: Jul 31, 2026
Expanding Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes from Umbilical Cord Blood that Target Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr Virus, and Adenovirus
Published on: May 7, 2012
Flow cytometric quantitation and characterization of the T-lymphocyte memory response to CMV in healthy donors
N Hensel1, J J Melenhorst, K Bradstock
1Stem Cell Transplantation Section, Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Background:
Levels of circulating CMV Ag-specific lymphocytes determine CMV reactivation risk in immunocompromised individuals.
Methods:
Frequencies of T cells producing cytokines after stimulation by CMV Ag were measured in hematopoietic stem-cell donors using flow cytometry.
Results:
In seropositive individuals (n = 75) the mean number of CD8(+) (CD8(bright), CD8(dim)) and CD4(+) cells producing IFN-gamma was respectively 3.1% (12.6/microL) and 0.38% (3.2/microL), over 10-fold higher than in seronegative subjects (n = 22). CMV stimulation induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in both CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells (usually together), with a shift from memory- to effector-cell phenotype, while only a small proportion of CD4(+) cells produced IL-4. Although the normal range was wide, neither age, sex nor HLA type affected the frequency.
Discussion:
These quantitative studies and the recognition of CD4(+) cells as potential effectors of CMV immunity are of relevance for immunotherapeutic approaches to prevent CMV disease after stem-cell transplantation.
