Virus load and reconstitution of CMV peptide-specific CD8⁺ and protein-specific CD4⁺ T cells.

This patient (no. 5) showed only a transient reduction in virus load and a transient occurrence of low numbers of CMV-specific CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells 24 days after the first infusion of a CMV-specific T-cell line (1 × 10⁷/m²). After a second T-cell infusion (1 × 10⁷/m²), a rapid reduction of viral load was followed by an increase in the number of circulating CMV-specific CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells and a permanent control of CMV infection. Peptide- and protein-specific T cells were analyzed by intracellular IFN-γ staining by flow cytometry after specific stimulation. Virus load was assessed by quantitative PCR (determined as virus copies/mL blood). The line represents the CMV-DNA load in the blood (virus copies/mL blood), the dark bars represent the number of circulating CMV protein-specific CD4⁺ T cells, and the gray bars represent the number/μL blood of circulating CD8⁺ T cells specific for the NLVPMVATV CMV peptide, which represents the immunodominant epitope in HLA A*0201-positive individuals. Arrows indicate T-cell infusions.