DIVERGENT PATTERNS OF ELAM-1, ICAM-1, AND VCAM-1 EXPRESSION ON CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-INFECTED ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS

Endothelial cells, one of several in vivo host cells for cytomegalovir us (CMV), participate in solid organ allograft rejection in part throu gh the expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules. The hypothesis that CMV infection alters the constitutive and induced expression of ELAM- 1, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 on infected human umbilical vein endothelial cel ls (HUVECs) was examined. HUVECs were infected with an endothelial cel l-propagated strain of CMV (VHL/E) for various periods, treated with t umor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), and examined by flow cytometry or immunohistochemically dual-labeled with monoclonal antibodies to C MV immediate early nuclear protein and ELAM-1, ICAM-1, or VCAM-1. Neit her ELAM-1 nor VCAM-1 was induced on CMV-infected HUVECs, and treatmen t with TNF alpha treatment did not result in their induction. In contr ast, ICAM-1 was induced on infected HUVECs by 24 hr postinfection. End othelial ICAM-1 induction may represent a mechanism by which CMV infec tion exacerbates the recipient cellular immune response to allografts.