Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a β-herpes virus common worldwide with prevalence of seropositivity reaching 80% in some parts of the USA. Primary infection is relatively benign for most infected individuals, after which the virus will persist lifelong in a latent state. However, CMV can cause severe effects in newborns, as well as immunocompromised individuals, including transplant recipients. CMV reactivation after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has been associated with increased transplant-related mortality and risk for graft-versus-host disease. Thus, understanding the role of immunogenetic variation in risk for CMV infection can provide insight into the immune control of this ubiquitous pathogen.
In this webinar, Juliano Boquett PhD, Specialist in the Hollenbach lab (University of California, San Francisco) will present his study on evaluating the association of HLA variation with CMV seropositivity. This study provides population-scale evidence of the role of HLA in mediating infection with this common and important virus.