Human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 and HHV-7: two closely related viruses with different infection profiles in stem cell transplantation recipients.
Human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 and HHV-7 loads were evaluated retrospectively in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 78 recipients of stem cell transplantation (SCT) by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The median HHV-6 load in patients was 1357 genome equivalent copies (EqCop)/10(6) PBMC but was below the quantitation threshold in 31 immunocompetent individuals, which strongly suggests that HHV-6 reactivation occurred after SCT. The HHV-6 load was higher in patients with delayed neutrophil engraftment (P=.002) or severe graft-versus-host disease (P=.009). Moreover, the occurrence of at least 1 HHV-6-related manifestation (fever, cutaneous rash, pneumonitis, or partial myelosuppression) was statistically associated with a concomitant virus load >10(3) EqCop/10(6) PBMC (P=.007). Conversely, HHV-7 reactivation was not favored, because median HHV-7 loads were similar in patients and healthy control subjects (1053 vs. 1216 EqCop/10(6) PBMC). The kinetics of Roseolovirus loads during the posttransplantation period suggested that HHV-7 may act as a cofactor of HHV-6 reactivation.
Boutolleau
David
D
Laboratoire de Virologie, UPRES EA 2387, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
Fernandez
Caroline
C
André
Elisabeth
E
Imbert-Marcille
Berthe-Marie
BM
Milpied
Noël
N
Agut
Henri
H
Gautheret-Dejean
Agnès
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D016199:Herpesvirus 7, Human / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013997:Time Factors; D019562:Viral Load
D004279:DNA, Viral