title: The role of photochemical treatment with amotosalen and UV-A light in the prevention of transfusion-transmitted cytomegalovirus infections.
abstract: Primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is usually asymptomatic in immunocompetent patients but can cause serious life-threatening complications in immunocompromised CMV-seronegative patients, including patients receiving a bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplant, recipients of some solid-organ transplants, and low-birth-weight neonates. Current recommendations for preventing transfusion-transmitted CMV (TT-CMV) infection in these patients include exclusive use of CMV-seronegative and/or leukoreduced cellular blood components (red blood cells and platelets) for transfusion. However, breakthrough cases of TT-CMV still occur. Despite improving the safety of blood components, testing remains a reactive approach to blood safety. In contrast, pathogen inactivation technologies offer a proactive approach with the potential to further improve blood safety. To reduce the risks associated with platelet transfusions, a photochemical treatment (PCT) process using a combination of the psoralen amotosalen HCl and long-wavelength UV light has been developed and introduced into clinical practice in Europe. PCT has been shown to result in greater than 5.9-log reductions in infectivity of human CMV in platelet concentrates and to prevent the transfusion transmission of murine CMV in a mouse transfusion model. Thus, PCT pathogen inactivation may play a role in further reducing the incidence of TT-CMV infection in patients who are at risk for serious CMV disease. Because PCT is a technology that targets nucleic acids, it also offers a proactive process for the inactivation of a broad range of viral, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens in addition to CMV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. jroback@emory.edu
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Roback
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Conlan
authors.forename: W Lawrence
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Drew
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ljungman
authors.forename: W Garrett
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: Jutta K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Preiksaitis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016913:Blood Component Transfusion; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D011564:Furocoumarins / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D038301:Virus Inactivation
chemical_list: D011564:Furocoumarins; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; C118577:amotosalen