title: Human herpesvirus 6 infection in renal transplantation.
abstract: The relationship between renal transplantation and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection was studied. All 21 kidney donors examined had antibody to HHV-6 at the time of transplantation. The 21 kidney recipients also had detectable antibody to HHV-6 before transplantation--and, of these, 8 patients showed a significant increase of serum antibody titer against HHV-6 after transplantation. All these 8 recipients suffered severe kidney rejection. Furthermore, virus isolation from peripheral blood lymphocytes of 2 recipients who suffered rejection was attempted, and in both cases HHV-6 was isolated. Biopsy specimens of rejected kidneys of 9 other patients were examined for the presence of HHV-6 antigens, and in 5 of these specimens antigens were detected in the tubular epithelium, as well as in infiltrating histiocytes and lymphocytes. These results suggest that HHV-6 can infect renal tissues and that the infection may be correlated with rejection or with immunosuppressive therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Osaka University, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okuno
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiraki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamanishi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kokado
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sonoda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000150:complications*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006648:Histocompatibility; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D014019:Tissue Donors
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral