Prevalence of human herpesvirus 6 antibodies and DNA in allogeneic stem cell transplant patients: two-year single centre experience

• Authors: T. Dzieciatkowski , M. Przybylski , T. Torosian , A. Tomaszewska , M. Luczak
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) has been recognized as a potentially significant pathogen in hemopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. Different clinical manifestations have been described, including fever, skin rash, bone marrow suppression, and encephalitis. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of a group of 26 adult recipients of allogeneic HSCTs was conducted. Serum samples taken before transplant were examined for the presence of specific anti-HHV-6 IgM and IgG antibodies. After transplantation, quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine viral load in plasma samples from days 0?180 post-transplant. Results: HHV-6 DNA was detected in plasma samples in 8 (30%) of the 26 recipients between days 18 and 40 after transplantation. All of them developed fever of unknown origin and over 50% had graft-versus-host disease features. Three individuals from this group died during detectable HHV-6 viremia. Another two recipients showed a single positive PCR result at a later time. Infection with HHV-6 was thus confirmed in 10 (38.5%) of the 26 graft recipients. Conclusions: There is a high frequency of detectable HHV-6 viral load in stem cell transplant recipients in Poland. Further investigation to monitor HHV-6 reactivation in graft recipients will be important to improve outcome for these patients.

Keywords

EN

HUMAN HERPESVIRUS-6; STEM CELL; TRANSPLANT

Discipline

• IMMUNOLOGY: IMMUNOLOGY

• Publisher: Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis
• Year: 2008
• Volume: 56
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 201-206

Contributors

author

T. Dzieciatkowski

author

M. Przybylski

author

T. Torosian

author

A. Tomaszewska

author

M. Luczak

• Document Type: ARTICLE
• Publication order reference: Tomasz Dzieciatkowski, Chair and Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Chalubinskiego 5, 02-004 Warsaw, Poland