Influenza A in immunocompromised patients.
Immunocompromised patients with influenza A were identified in Stockholm during two influenza seasons. The predominant subtypes were H3N2 during 1988-1989 and H1N1 during 1990-1991. The median age of the 25 patients was 43 years (range, 3-80 years). Twelve patients had received renal transplants and had ongoing immunosuppression. Seven patients had received bone marrow transplants between 2 days and 3 years before becoming infected with influenza virus A. Two patients were in an aplastic phase, and four had chronic graft-versus-host disease with ongoing immunosuppression. Six patients had hematologic malignancies. Two of the 25 patients had severe infections. One of these infections occurred in a bone marrow transplant recipient during an aplastic phase and was fatal; the other affected a patient who had received a renal transplant. One bone marrow transplant patient had mild but protracted infection. The remaining 22 patients had mild influenza A. We conclude that influenza A in immunocompromised patients occasionally causes severe complications but in most patients is mild and self-limiting.
Department of Medicine, Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Sweden.
P
P
Ljungman
J
J
Andersson
J
J
Aschan
L
L
Barkholt
A
A
Ehrnst
M
M
Johansson
O
O
Weiland
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D009980:Influenza A virus; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008875:Middle Aged
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents