[Infections caused by virus in 100 patients submitted to heart transplantation].
OBJECTIVE
To analyse prevalence, clinical features and organ involvement in viral infections occuring after heart transplantation.


METHODS
One hundred consecutive heart transplantation patients were studied. The follow-up was three to 90 (mean 23.32 +/- 25.97) months. Viral infections were diagnosed using the Center for Disease Control criteria.


RESULTS
Viral infections were responsible for 51 infections, 19.6% of all infections in this patient population. Herpesvirus infection was the most common etiology: 32 (59.25%) of all viral infections were caused by reactivation of or reinfection by cytomegalovirus. Of those infections 27 (84.37%) occurred in the first three weeks following surgery. Only 4 (12.50%) of those showed clinical signs of cytomegalovirus disease. Other herpesvirus causing infections were herpes simplex and varicella-zoster virus.


CONCLUSIONS
Infections are common after heart transplantation and viral infections of herpesviridae family are important causes of those infections; usually as reactivation in an immune suppressed patient. The most important viral infections were caused by reactivation of or reinfection by cytomegalovirus.
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Divisão de Moléstias Infecciosas e Parasitárias e Instituto do Coração do Hospital das Clínicas--FMUSP, São Paulo, SP.
Amato Neto
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Varejão Strabelli
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TM
Alcides Bocchi
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D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000209:etiology*