Dendritic Cells Pulsed with Polyomavirus BK Antigen Induce Ex Vivo Polyoma BK Virus–Specific Cytotoxic T-Cell Lines in Seropositive Healthy Individuals and Renal Transplant Recipients

• DOI: 10.1097/01.asn.0000096374.08473.e3
• Publication Date: 2004-10-23T14:37:06Z
• Authors: Patrizia Comoli; Sabrina Basso; Alberta Azzi; Antonia Moretta; Riccardo De Santis; Francesco Del Galdo; Raffaele De Palma; Umberto Valente; Arcangelo Nocera; Francesco Perfumo; Franco Locatelli; Rita Maccario; Fabrizio Ginevri
• Keywords: CTL*; Immunosuppression; Polyomavirus Infections; Hemorrhagic cystitis

ABSTRACT. Polyoma BK virus (BKV)-associated interstitial nephritis has emerged as a relevant complication of immunocompromise after kidney transplantation, leading to reduced survival the renal allograft. The limitations current antiviral treatment and high probability rejection in graft recipients when control viral replication is attempted by reduction immunosuppression warrant further efforts develop alternative therapeutic tools. Cellular immunotherapy proved be successful approach for prevention and/or other complications immunocompromised host. For assessing feasibility translating this strategy BKV-associated disease, procedure ex vivo reactivation BKV-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTL) was developed from BKV-seropositive healthy donors allograft through stimulation with dendritic pulsed inactivated BKV. CTL lines thus obtained showed BKV specificity, an efficient lysis BKV-infected targets accompanied little or no reactivity against mock-infected autologous allogeneic targets. In vitro killing targets, likely result populations TCRγδ+/CD3+ displaying MHC class I unrestricted cytotoxicity, also displayed. Application culture system may allow preemptive therapy BKV-related transplant recipients, based on guided DNA levels.