title: Intensification of GVHD prophylaxis interferes with the effects of pretransplant herpes virus serology on the occurrence of grades II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease.
abstract: The effects of pretransplant herpes virus serology on the occurrence of grades II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were studied in 262 recipients and their HLA-identical family donors. In 131 recipients on standard GVHD prophylaxis (either methotrexate or cyclosporin A) significant effects were observed for donor HSV serology (seropositivity associated with increased risk for GVHD) and donor EBV serology (seronegativity associated with increased risk). However, these effects were nonsignificant in the other 131 recipients on intensified GVHD prophylaxis (i.e., methotrexate combined with cyclosporin A, in vivo anti-T-cell monoclonal antibodies, or various procedures to reduce the T-cell numbers in the transplants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Bank, University Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Gratama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: vd Nat
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Weiland
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stijnen
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Fibbe
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vossen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Willemze
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Verdonck
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002353:Carrier State / Q000097:blood*; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections; D006801:Humans; D011300:Preoperative Care