title: Cytomegalovirus after heart transplantation: definitions for the guidance of antiviral therapy.
abstract: Besides the current classification of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and disease we defined "CMV antigenaemia" as the marker for initiation of antiviral therapy (CMV hyperimmune globulin 2 ml/kg/d and ganciclovir 1000 mg/d), and "episodes of CMV antigenaemia"(the time from detection of antigenaemia until a subsequent antigenaemia assay tested negative again) indicated the time period of antiviral treatment. Patients were at highest risk for antigenaemia at day 38.2 +/- 20.9 after heart transplantation. We observed 50 episodes of antigenaemia in 18 patients. The mean duration was 7.3 +/- 6.4 days. No antigenaemia associated symptoms and no anti-CMV IgM was observed without preceding evidence of antigenaemia. Antigenaemia-associated symptoms and antigenaemia disappeared after antiviral therapy was initiated. Our therapy did not prevent CMV infection, but despite the repeated evidence of active CMV infection, no patient suffered CMV disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplantation, Karl Franzens University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Iberer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tscheliessnigg
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Halwachs
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Auer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wasler
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Petutschnigg
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schreier
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Allmayer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prenner
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014181:Transplantation Immunology; D014766:Viremia / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D015774:Ganciclovir