Treatment of cytomegalovirus disease with valganciclovir in renal transplant recipients: a single center experience.
Recent data suggest valganciclovir (VGC) to be as effective as ganciclovir for cytomegalovirus (CMV) prophylaxis. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of oral valganciclovir in renal transplant patients with symptomatic CMV infection. Twenty-one patients with symptomatic CMV infection received VGC in doses adjusted to renal function until resolution of CMV antigenemia. The patients were followed for a mean of 5.5 months. During therapy, CMV antigenemia dropped in all patients from pretreatment positive levels of 5.2 +/- 3.7 to negative values of 0.25 +/- 0.2 positive cells/10,000 PBMC (P<0.001). After cessation of therapy, none of patients developed relapse of CMV antigenemia/symptoms within the follow-up. VGC therapy was well tolerated in all patients and no major adverse effects occurred. This pilot trial showed VGC to be safe and highly effective in antiviral therapy after renal transplantation. However, subsequent multicenter clinical trials for treatment of CMV disease are necessary.
Interdisciplinary Transplant Research Laboratory, Department of Nephrology and Internal Intensive Care, Charité University Medicine, Campus Virchow Clinic, Augustenburger Platz 1, D-13353 Berlin, Germany. nina.babel@charite.de
Nina
N
Babel
Leila
L
Gabdrakhmanova
Jan-Steffen
JS
Juergensen
Nermin
N
Eibl
Jan
J
Hoerstrup
Markus
M
Hammer
Christian
C
Rosenberger
Conny
C
Hoeflich
Ulrich
U
Frei
Frank
F
Rohde
Hans-Dieter
HD
Volk
Petra
P
Reinke
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000821:virology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077562:Valganciclovir
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077562:Valganciclovir; D015774:Ganciclovir