Nonmalignant disease associated with human herpesvirus 8 reactivation in patients who have undergone autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
Fever, cutaneous rash, and hepatitis-for which an infectious cause was suspected-developed in an Italian patient with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after autologous peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with degenerate primers for the highly conserved DNA polymerase gene of herpesviruses detected herpesvirus sequences 100% identical to human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) in serial cell-free serum samples, collected immediately before or concomitant with the occurrence of clinical symptoms; no other common infections were documented. The presence of the HHV-8 genome (clade C) was confirmed by PCR with HHV-8-specific primers for orf 26 and orf-K1. HHV-8 viremia was undetectable either before transplantation or when the patient was clinically asymptomatic. Semiquantitative PCR analysis showed variations of the viral load correlating with the clinical status. Anti-HHV-8 antibodies were detected before and after transplantation by an immunofluorescence assay for lytic antigens. Active HHV-8 infection may be associated with nonmalignant illness after PBSC/bone marrow transplantation.
Luppi
M
M
Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Hematology, University of Modena, Italy.
Barozzi
P
P
Schulz
T F
TF
Trovato
R
R
Donelli
A
A
Narni
F
F
Sheldon
J
J
Marasca
R
R
Torelli
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D019562:Viral Load
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase