Primary human herpesvirus 6 infection in liver transplant recipients.
We detected primary human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection in 5 infants who received living related liver transplantation from their HHV-6 seropositive mothers. Primary HHV-6 infection was confirmed by demonstrating the seroconversion of HHV-6 antibodies with an immunofluorescence assay, by the isolation of the virus, or both. Seroconversion of HHV-6 immunoglobulin G antibody was demonstrated in all 5 recipients. HHV-6 was isolated from 3 of the 5 recipients between 2 and 3 weeks after transplantation. Moreover, the virus genome was detected in plasma by polymerase chain reaction in 4 of the 5 recipients during the same period. Although the 5 recipients had pyrexia at the time of primary HHV-6 infection, none of the recipients had a skin rash after defervescence. Clinical symptoms disappeared without specific antiviral treatment in all but 1 of the recipients.
Yoshikawa
T
T
Laboratory of Virology, Research Institute for Disease Mechanism and Control, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 4668550 Japan.
Ihira
M
M
Suzuki
K
K
Suga
S
S
Asano
Y
Y
Asonuma
K
K
Tanaka
K
K
Nishiyama
Y
Y
D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D014019:Tissue Donors
D004279:DNA, Viral