Diagnostic usefulness of the cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific T cell-based assay for predicting CMV infection after kidney transplant
- Author:
Taeeun KIM
1
;
Hyun-Jeong LEE
;
Sun-Mi KIM
;
Joo Hee JUNG
;
Sung SHIN
;
Young-Hoon KIM
;
Heungsup SUNG
;
Yong Pil CHONG
;
Sang-Oh LEE
;
Sang-Ho CHOI
;
Yang Soo KIM
;
Jun Hee WOO
;
Sung-Han KIM
;
Duck Jong HAN
Author Information
- Publication Type:2
- From:The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine 2020;35(2):438-448
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Background/Aims:We evaluated the usefulness in kidney transplant (KT) candidates of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays for predicting the development of post-transplant CMV infections.
Methods:All adult recipients admitted for living-donor KT between March 2014 and March 2015 were prospectively enrolled except donor CMV-seropositive and recipient seronegative (D+/R–) recipients. All the enrolled patients underwent CMV-specific ELISPOT assays before transplant, and a researcher blinded to the results of these assays examined the patients for CMV infection at least 6 months post-transplant.
Results:Of 133 KT recipients, 44 (33%) developed CMV infections. When we used the cut-off determined by receiver operator characteristic curve, 16 of the 34 patients (47%) with negative pp65-specific ELISPOT results (< 11 spots/200,000 cells) developed CMV infections, whereas 28 of the 99 patients (39%) with positive pp65-specific ELISPOT results at baseline (≥ 11 spots/200,000 cells) developed CMV infections after KT (p = 0.02). Based on the multivariable Cox regression model, negative pp65-specific ELISPOT assay results was an independent risk factor for CMV infection (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 1.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 3.46; p = 0.047) as well as age (AHR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.08; p = 0.007).
Conclusions:Pre-transplant CMV-specific ELISPOT assay appears to predict the development of CMV infections after KT in recipients at moderate risk such as CMV-seropositive recipients (Clinical Trial Registration Number NCT 02025335).
