title: Human herpesvirus-6 in renal transplant recipients: potential risk factors for the development of human herpesvirus-6 seroconversion.
abstract: Herpesviruses, including human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), reactivate and have the potential to be pathogenic in immunocompromised patients. Little information is available regarding the correlation between immunosuppressive therapy and HHV-6 seroconversion after organ transplantation. Serum samples obtained from 120 kidney and kidney/pancreas transplant recipients were tested to explore the potential risk factors for developing HHV-6 infection including types of immunosuppression and induction/rejection therapy. Stored serum samples obtained prior to and at the 2nd, 4th, 12th and 48th weeks after transplantation were tested for anti-HHV-6 immunoglobulin (Ig)M antibodies using indirect immunofluorescence assay. Prior to transplantation and 48 weeks after transplantation the sera were additionally tested for anti-HHV-6 IgG using enzyme-linked immunoassay. Ninety-one percent of 120 recipients were HHV-6 IgG-positive before transplantation. One hundred seven of 120 patients were anti-HHV-6 IgM-negative before transplantation. Primary/secondary HHV-6 seroconversion occurred in sera of 46.6% of these 107 patients. HHV-6 seroconversion most frequently occurred 2 to 4 weeks after transplantation. There was no significant relationship between HHV-6 seroconversion and the treatment with methylprednisolone (MP). The incidence of HHV-6 seroconversion was significantly higher in subjects who were treated with the regimens including Daclizumab or Sirolimus as compared with those who were on other protocols. HHV-6 seropositivity in the Polish population of organ transplant recipients is very high. We demonstrated a trend toward association of HHV-6 seroconversion with type of immunosuppressive therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplantation Medicine and Nephrology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deborska
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Durlik
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sadowska
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nowacka-Cieciura
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pazik
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lewandowski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chmura
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Galazka
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paczek
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents