title: Human herpesvirus 6 infection after autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplantation: a single-center prospective longitudinal study of 92 patients.
abstract: To determine the incidence and clinical relevance of active human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection, 92 consecutive unselected recipients of autologous or allogeneic stem cell grafts were investigated in a prospective longitudinal study. Active infection was assessed by the presence of viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in 846 peripheral blood mononuclear cell specimens and 115 plasma specimens, by means of a specially developed polymerase chain reaction designed to avoid detection of latent genome. The incidence of HHV-6 infection observed was 42.5%, irrespective of the type or source of graft, and infection was significantly associated with partial (P=.002) or total myelosuppression (P=.01) and fever (P<. 000001). Infusion of bone marrow as the source of graft, reactivation occurring before platelet or neutrophil engraftment, and presence of HHV-6 DNA in plasma were identified as risk factors for symptomatic HHV-6 infection (P<.002).
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie, Institut de Biologie des Hopitaux de Nantes, Nantes, FRANCE. bmimbert@sante.univ-nantes.fr
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Imbert-Marcille
authors.forename: X W
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lepelletier
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Besse
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Billaudel
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Milpied
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral