title: Human herpesvirus 6 infection and cytomegalovirus-specific lymphoproliferative responses in allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of HHV-6 DNAemia on the CMV specific lymphoproliferative response after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Twenty-one allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) patients were included in the study. The patients were either CMV seropositive and/or had CMV seropositive donors. We studied the effects of HHV-6 infection, documented by PCR, on CMV-specific lymphocyte proliferation response and on CMV infection documented by PCR. HHV-6 DNAemia correlated with the absence of CMV-specific lymphocyte proliferation responses after allo-SCT. Three of nine patients with persistent HHV-6 DNA had a CMV-specific lymphocyte proliferative response compared to 11 of 12 patients without persistent HHV-6 DNAemia (P = 0.02). Patients with higher HHV-6 DNA levels (>100 copies) were more likely than those with lower copy numbers not to develop a CMV-specific immune response (six of nine vs one of eight; P < 0.05). Patients who were repeatedly HHV-6 positive in three or more consecutive blood samples were also more likely to need repeated courses of preemptive antiviral therapy against CMV during the first 6 months after transplantation (P < 0.001). Our data indicate the possibility that HHV-6 can suppress the development of CMV-specific immune responses and thereby could predispose to development of late CMV disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: F-Z
authors.initials: FZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linde
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ljungman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000821:virology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral