title: Human herpesvirus 6 variant B infection in adult patients after unrelated cord blood transplantation.
abstract: Human herpesvirus 6 variant B (HHV-6B) infection was studied in 23 adult patients who underwent cord blood transplantation (CBT). HHV-6B DNA was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis after CBT in the sera from 15 patients (65%) at day 14 or 15 (week 2), from 16 patients (70%) at day 21 or 22 (week 3), and from 3 patients (13%) at day 28 or 29 (week 4). HHV-6B DNAemia was found in none of the 20 patients examined at day 7 or 8 (week 1). The overall incidence of HHV-6B DNAemia reached 87% (20 of 23 patients). This incidence was much higher than after unrelated bone marrow transplantation (19%, P < .0001). In CBT patients, positive HHV-6B DNAemia at week 3 was significantly associated with early skin rash (88% versus 14%, P < .005) and grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) (69% versus 14%, P < .05). In contrast, positive HHV-6B DNAemia at week 2 was associated with neither skin rash nor aGVHD. Prospective large-scale studies are needed to determine the role of HHV-6 infection in CBT patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology/Oncology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan. atomonar@ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomonari
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ooi
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iseki
authors.forename: Kashiya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takasugi
authors.forename: Michihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Konuma
authors.forename: Muneyoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Futami
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchimaru
authors.forename: Arinobu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tojo
authors.forename: Shigetaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D036101:Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral