title: Cytomegalovirus infection does not increase the risk of vanishing bile duct syndrome after liver transplantation.
abstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and HLA-DR sharing have been reported to be associated with the development of vanishing bile duct syndrome (VBDS) after liver transplantation. We retrospectively analyzed the importance of these risk factors for VBDS in 126 consecutive recipients of a first transplant. In contrast to previous studies, CMV was monitored strictly using the antigenemia assay, a quantitative marker of the viral load. Patient and graft survival were comparable in patients with and without CMV infection. The incidence of VBDS was low, regardless of the CMV infection status or degree of HLA-DR sharing. Improvements in the early diagnosis and treatment of CMV infection may have eliminated its negative influence on graft survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Klompmaker
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Hepkema
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Gouw
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Haagsma
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lems
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: The
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Slooff
mesh_terms: D001649:Bile Duct Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006085:Graft Survival; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens