Association between chronic lung allograft dysfunction and human Cytomegalovirus UL40 peptide variants in lung-transplant recipients

Natural-Killer (NK-) cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) in lung-transplant recipients (LTRs). Activating NKG2C+ and inhibitory NKG2A+ NK cells proliferate in response to human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection via the presentation of virally encoded UL40 peptides on HLA-E molecules. We aimed to clarify whether infection with HCMV strains carrying different UL40 peptide variants is associated with the development of CLAD. We included 82 LTRs, 18 patients developing CLAD and 64 matched control patients without CLAD.
Source: The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation - Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Source Type: research