Cytomegalovirus-induced Gammadelta T Cells Associate with Reduced Cancer Risk After Kidney Transplantation

Overview

Journal J Am Soc Nephrol

Specialty Nephrology

Date 2009 Aug 29

PMID 19713314

Citations 40

Authors

Lionel Couzi

Yann Levaillant

Abdellah Jamai

Vincent Pitard

Regis Lassalle

Karin Martin

Isabelle Garrigue

Omar Hawchar

Francois Siberchicot

Nicholas Moore

Jean-Francois Moreau

Julie Dechanet-Merville

Pierre Merville

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

An increase in the number of blood gammadelta T cells follows cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in kidney transplant recipients. These cells react against CMV-infected cells and tumor epithelial cells in vitro. We hypothesized that these CMV-induced gammadelta T cells play a protective role against cancer in kidney transplant recipients. We performed a longitudinal case-control study involving 18 recipients who developed cancer between 2 and 6 yr after transplantation and 45 recipients who did not. The median percentage of gammadelta T cells among total lymphocytes in patients with malignancies was significantly lower compared with that in control patients at 6, 12, and 18 mo before the diagnosis of cancer. Patients with a gammadelta T cell percentage of more than 4% were protected from cancer. An increase of the Vdelta2(neg) gammadelta T cell subset significantly associated with lower incidence of cancer only in recipients who experienced pre- or postgraft CMV infection. Finally, a retrospective follow-up of 131 recipients for 8 yr revealed that CMV-naive recipients had an approximately 5-fold higher risk of cancer compared with CMV-exposed patients. In summary, these results suggest a protective role of CMV exposure against cancer in kidney transplant recipients.

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