title: Cytomegalovirus disease after heart transplantation: is acyclovir prophylaxis indicated?
abstract: To determine the efficacy of acyclovir prophylaxis in preventing cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease after heart transplantation, the clinical course of 103 patients (ages, 0.1 to 62 years; mean age, 41.8 years; 87 males, 16 females) was analyzed. Active CMV infection (defined as a positive culture from any site or a fourfold increase in immunoglobulin G antibody titers) occurred in 64% (66/103) and clinical CMV disease (defined as pathologic evidence of CMV in tissue biopsy or a typical CMV syndrome with fever and two of the following: leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, atypical lymphocytes, and elevated liver function test results in a patient with CMV infection) occurred in 25% (26/103). Independent variables studied included acyclovir prophylaxis, duration of acyclovir use, duration and type of induction therapy, donor and recipient CMV status, total steroid dose at 3 and 6 months, azathioprine dose and cyclosporine level at 3 months, age, and sex. In a multivariate regression analysis, acyclovir prophylaxis was independently associated with freedom from CMV disease (p = 0.029). Positive donor CMV status (p = 0.025), higher total steroid dose at 3 months (p = 0.036), and lower azathioprine dose at 3 months (p = 0.047) were associated with higher occurrence of CMV disease. The use of antilymphocyte induction therapy was associated with an increased occurrence of active CMV infection (p = 0.022) but not CMV disease. The prophylactic administration of acyclovir reduced the occurrence of CMV disease after heart transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-5734.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Elkins
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Frist
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Dummer
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Merrill
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Carden
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Bender
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014019:Tissue Donors
chemical_list: D001379:Azathioprine; D000212:Acyclovir