CYTOMEGALOVIRAEMIA AND T-CELL SUBPOPULATIONS IN RENAL-TRANSPLANT PATIENTS

We studied 54 consecutive recipients of renal transplants to evaluate their immunological responses to cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Fort y-three (79.6%) patients developed CMV infection, and all of them subs equently recovered. Fourteen of these infected patients (32.6%) develo ped viraemia during the infectious process, four of whom then manifest ed the disease. The number of lymphocytes and their main subpopulation s was normal before the appearance of CMV infection, During the infect ion there was a significant growth (P<0.001) in the CD8(+)DR(+) subset , corresponding to activated T suppressor/cytotoxic lymphocytes, where as the natural killer measured subsets remained within normal limits d uring the whole infectious process. As all viraemic patients recoverin g from the infection developed CD8(+)DR(+) activation, we conclude tha t this recovery is associated with the immunological activation.