title: Adenovirus infection after pediatric bone marrow transplantation: is treatment always necessary?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adenovirus infections are associated with significant rates of morbidity and mortality among children after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Many transplantation units use molecular virological methods, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), for surveillance for adenovirus infection and give preemptive antiviral therapy to children with evidence of disseminated adenovirus infection. This treatment strategy has never been evaluated in clinical trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively tested blood samples obtained from a cohort of children who had undergone BMT before the introduction of regular weekly surveillance for adenovirus infection. A total of 273 samples collected from 26 patients between May 1998 and June 2002 were tested for adenovirus infection by quantitative PCR. Virus load was quantified for each sample yielding positive test results, and the clinical notes and virological records of each child were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Evidence of adenovirus infection was found in 11 children (42%), 7 of whom had not previously had positive test results. Receipt of T cell-depleted transplants was associated with a significantly higher incidence of adenovirus infection during the posttransplantation period. The 2 children who died from adenovirus disease developed infection within 2 weeks after transplantation, and both had very low absolute lymphocyte counts at the time of diagnosis. Seven of 11 children with blood samples that were found to be positive for adenovirus by PCR cleared the virus without antiviral therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surveillance for adenovirus by PCR is better than symptomatic testing for detecting adenovirus infection. Antiviral therapy may not be necessary for all children who develop adenovirus viremia after BMT.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Child Health, Royal London Hospital, London, United Kingdom. t.m.walls@qmul.ac.uk
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Walls
authors.forename: Khidir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hawrami
authors.forename: Innes
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ushiro-Lumb
authors.forename: Delane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shingadia
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Shankar
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000257:Adenoviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents