The role of the tumor necrosis factor system and interleukin-10 during cytomegalovirus infection in renal transplant recipients

The effects of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection on monocyte and T cell activ ation and the role of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) system and interleuki n (IL)-10 were studied in a prospective study of 25 renal transplant recipi ents. Ten patients developed CMV disease (group A), 5 developed asymptomati c infection (group B), and 10 did not have CMV infection (group C), During CMV disease (group A), there was evidence of both monocyte and T cell activ ation, All patients with CMV infection (groups A and B) showed increased ac tivation of the TNF system, concomitant with an increase in plasma levels o f IL-10. Patients with CMV disease (group A) had more marked manifestations of TNF activation and more moderate IL-10 increase than patients with asym ptomatic CMV infection (group B), reflected in a higher plasma IL-10/TNF-al pha ratio in asymptomatic patients. Thus, the balance between TNF-alpha and IL-10 may be important in the development of CMV infection and CMV-related disease.