biostudies-literatureHsu FMNHLBI NIH HHSUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsCSRD VA2408843https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11451273biostudies-literatureUnknown19(1)Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and reactivation in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients increases the risk of viremia, graft failure and death. Clinical studies of CMV serostatus indicate that donor positive recipient negative (D⁺/R^-) patients have greater viremia risk than D^-/R^-. The majority of patients are R⁺ having intermediate serologic risk. To characterize the long-term impact of CMV infection and assess viremia risk, we sought to measure the effects of CMV on the recipient immune epigenome. Specifically, we profiled DNA methylation in 156 individuals before lung or kidney transplant. We found that the methylome of CMV positive SOT recipients is hyper-methylated at <i>loci</i> associated with neural development and Polycomb EpigeneticsAn epigenetic human cytomegalovirus infection score predicts viremia risk in seropositive lung transplant recipients.PMC11451273I01 CX002011R01 HL151552R01 HL161048U01 HL163294JRGGreenland JRSchaenman JMPellegrini MThompson MPickering HHsu FMReed EFRubbi LMohanty RPfalseAn epigenetic human cytomegalovirus infection score predicts viremia risk in seropositive lung transplant recipients.Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and reactivation in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients increases the risk of viremia, graft failure and death. Clinical studies of CMV serostatus indicate that donor positive recipient negative (D⁺/R^-) patients have greater viremia risk than D^-/R^-. The majority of patients are R⁺ having intermediate serologic risk. To characterize the long-term impact of CMV infection and assess viremia risk, we sought to measure the effects of CMV on the recipient immune epigenome. Specifically, we profiled DNA methylation in 156 individuals before lung or kidney transplant. We found that the methylome of CMV positive SOT recipients is hyper-methylated at <i>loci</i> associated with neural development and Polycomb 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Dec2026-06-15T06:20:57.621Z2025-04-07T07:31:52.728ZS-EPMC114512733936067810.1080/15592294.2024.2408843