CD45RA expression on HCMV-specific effector memory CD8+ T cells is associated with the duration and intensity of HCMV replication after transplantation.

In this cross-sectional study on 42 solid organ transplant recipients, the association of kinetics of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication and EMRA HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells was investigated. Correlation was observed between the duration of HCMV replication after transplantation and CD45RA+CD27- (r=0.609; p=0.004), CD45RA+CD28- (r=0.579; p=0.008) or CD45RA+CCR7- (r=0.488; p=0.029) HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells percentages. In the multivariate regression analyses, CD45RA+CD27-, CD45RA+CD28- or CD45RA+CCR7- HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells percentages increased 5.58% (p=0.001), 5.35% (p=0.001) or 4.49% (p=0.012), respectively, with every 10-day increase in the duration of HCMV replication. Moreover, CD45RA+CD27- or CD45RA+CD28- frequencies increased 4.16% (p=0.024) or 3.58% (p=0.049), respectively, with every unity increase in log(10) genomes/mL. These observations support the major association between the frequency of EMRA HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells and the duration of post-transplant HCMV replication episodes in solid organ transplantation recipients.