title: Opportunistic infections after renal transplantation.
abstract: Opportunistic infection is a serious clinical complication in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy after kidney transplantation. This article deals with some of the possible infectious agents that were recently encountered at our transplantation centre in Düsseldorf, Germany. Opportunistic organsims such as human herpesviruses 6-8, polyomavirus, parvovirus B19, varicella zoster virus, Nocardia and Listeria monocytogenes are rare but severe complications that are presented in this overview. As a result of the use of new immunosuppresive drugs like tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil these infections are now seen more frequently, so they should always be included in differential diagnostic considerations. New diagnostic procedures and new treatment strategies should allow early detection and successful treatment of opportunistic infections in the majority of kidney transplant recipients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology and Rheumatology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hörl
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ivens
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grabensee
mesh_terms: D001739:BK Virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000209:etiology; D009617:Nocardia Infections / Q000209:etiology; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents