title: Correlation between body mass index and leucopenia after administration of valganciclovir for cytomegalovirus infection in chinese cardiac recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Valganciclovir (VGC) has recently been proved efficacious for the prophylaxis and treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in transplant recipients. Leucopenia is a troublesome complication of VGC but the possible risk factors are unknown.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Once a cardiac recipient's quantitative real-time CMV-polymerase chain reaction result showed positive, VGC was administered for 3 months. The 61 cardiac recipients enrolled in this study were divided into 2 groups: non-leucopenia group (n=29) and leucopenia group (n=32). The white blood cell (WBC) counts in the leucopenia group dropped approximately 55.6% in the first month after VGC therapy (pre-VGC WBC count: 5,544 cells/mm(3) vs post-VGC WBC count: 2,460 cells/mm(3), p<0.0001). The most significant difference between the 2 groups was body mass index (BMI, 23.04 vs 25.84, p=0.008), which was the impact factor of VGC-induced leucopenia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Severe leucopenia may develop after VGC therapy in Chinese cardiac recipients, especially those with lower BMI.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201 Sec.2 Shih-Pai Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Ming
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hsiao-Huang
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chiao-Po
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Shiau-Ting
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Yuan-Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Chun-Che
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Shih
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D044466:Asian People; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002681:China; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D000077562:Valganciclovir
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D000077562:Valganciclovir; D015774:Ganciclovir