Clinical validation of a novel enzyme ‐linked immunosorbent spot assay‐based in vitro diagnostic assay to monitor cytomegalovirus‐specific cell‐mediated immunity in kidney transplant recipients: a multicenter, longitudinal, prospective, observational study

This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of T‐Track® CMV, a novel IFN‐γ ELISpot assay based on the stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with pp65 and IE‐I CMV proteins, to monitor CMV‐CMI following kidney transplantation. A prospective longitudinal multicenter study was conducted in 86 intermediate‐risk renal transplant recipients. CMV‐CMI, CMV viral load, and clinical complications were monitored over 6 months post‐transplantation. Ninety‐five percent and 88–92% ELISpot assays were positive pre‐ and post‐transplantation, respectively. CMV‐specific response was reduced following immunosuppressive treatment and increased in patients with graft rejection, indicating the ability of the ELISpot assay to monitor patients' immunosuppressive state. Interestingly, median pp65‐specific response was ninefold higher in patients with self‐clearing viral load compared to antivirally treated patients prior to first viral load detection (P < 0.001), suggesting that reactivity to pp65 represents a potential immunocompetence marker. Altogether, T‐Track® CMV is a highly sensitive IFN‐γ ELISpot assay, suitable for the immunomonitoring of CMV‐seropositive renal transplant recipients, and with a potential use for the risk assessment of CMV‐related clinical complications (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02083042).

Source: Transplant International - January 16, 2018 Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Bernhard Banas, Dominik Steubl, Lutz Renders, Dominik Chittka, Miriam C. Banas, Thomas Wekerle, Martina Koch, Oliver Witzke, Anja M ühlfeld, Claudia Sommerer, Antje Habicht, Christian Hugo, Thomas Hünig, Monika Lindemann, Traudel Schmidt, Anne Rascle, S Tags: Original Article Source Type: research