title: Impact of cytomegalovirus prophylaxis on rejection following orthotopic liver transplantation.
abstract: With improved cytomegalovirus (CMV) prophylaxis, CMV disease after liver transplantation has decreased dramatically, and patient and graft survival have improved. We examined the impact of CMV prophylaxis on biopsy proven rejection after orthotopic liver transplantation by analyzing data on 192 liver recipients over 5 years (1994-1999). Risk factors assessed for biopsy proven rejection including donor and recipient age, CMV serostatus; CMV prophylaxis; immunosuppression; bacteremia and blood product use were examined over a 2-year follow-up. Multivariate analysis of risk factors for rejection showed that bacteremia (HR 3.57, 95% CI 1.39-9.36, P=0.008), donor age (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.06-1.36, per 10 year increase, P=0.004), and use of cyclosporine as initial immunosuppression compared to tacrolimus (HR 1.98, 95% CI 1.27-3.09, P=0.003) were associated with increased risk; ganciclovir prophylaxis for 3 months (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.79, P=0.003) and recipient age (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.63-0.96, for each 10 year increase, P=0.03) were associated with decreased risk. We conclude that, the use of CMV prophylaxis with ganciclovir significantly reduces the incidence of biopsy proven rejection in liver transplant recipients.
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts-New England Medical Center, and Tufts University School of Medicine, 750 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slifkin
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ruthazer
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bloom
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fitzmaurice
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fairchild
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angelis
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Laurie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barefoot
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rohrer
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Snydman
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive / Q000379:methods*; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; C045781:cytomegalovirus-specific hyperimmune globulin; D015774:Ganciclovir; D016559:Tacrolimus