Markers of terminally differentiated T-cells as predictors of vascular health in renal transplant recipients and healthy adults

Abstract

Meta-analyses confirm a link between persistent human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections and cardiovascular disease, but the mechanisms are unclear. We assess whether proportions of T-cell populations are reliable predictors of subclinical atherosclerosis and/or reflect the burden of HCMV in healthy adults and renal transplant recipients (RTR). Samples were collected from healthy adults and RTR at baseline (T0) and after 32 (24–40) months (T1). Left carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) and proportions of T-cells expressing CD57, LIR-1 or the TEMRA phenotype increased in healthy adults and RTR. The T-cell populations correlated with levels of HCMV-reactive antibodies. Proportions of CD57+, LIR-1+ and TEMRA CD8+ T-cells correlated with left and right cIMT in healthy adults. Proportions of CD57+ and LIR-1+ CD8+ T-cells at T0 predicted left cIMT at T1 among healthy adults, but these associations disappeared after adjustment for covariates. We link LIR-1+ and CD57+CD8+ T-cells with the progression of cIMT in healthy adults.