title: Quantitative oropharyngeal Epstein-Barr virus shedding in renal and cardiac transplant recipients: relationship to immunosuppressive therapy, serologic responses, and the risk of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder.
abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection plays a major role in the pathogenesis of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). Quantitative oropharyngeal EBV shedding measured by a DNA-DNA dot blot assay and the genotype of isolates determined by a polymerase chain reaction assay were studied in 23 renal and 23 cardiac transplant recipients followed over the first posttransplant year. Five patients developed PTLD and two additional PTLD renal transplant recipients were studied from the time of diagnosis. Significantly higher levels of EBV were observed in primary versus reactivation infection (P < .04) when sequential courses of antilymphocyte globulins or > 4 g of methylprednisolone were used in the first 6 months after transplant and in patients with versus those without PTLD (P < .04), although the former group had a high incidence of primary infection. Patients with the highest EBV shedding had the poorest serologic responses. All PTLD patients shed EBV-1, which was also shed by patients without PTLD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Preiksaitis
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Diaz-Mitoma
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mirzayans
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Tyrrell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000188:drug therapy; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D016041:Heart-Lung Transplantation / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D004279:DNA, Viral; D016572:Cyclosporine; D001379:Azathioprine; D011241:Prednisone; D008775:Methylprednisolone