title: [Infections in liver transplant recipients].
abstract: Infection is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in liver transplant patients. Infections appear in three different periods following transplantation and are related to surgical factors, the degree of immunosuppression, environmental exposure and the type of prophylaxis used. Bacterial infections occur in the first two months after transplantation as bacteremia, surgical wound and intra-abdominal infection, or pneumonia. Tuberculosis in the liver transplant recipient is more aggressive than in immunocompetent persons. Viruses produce direct infection in these patients; moreover, some viruses (e.g., cytomegalovirus and human herpes virus 6) are immunomodulators and can facilitate other infections and graft rejection. Polymerase chain reaction and antigenemia techniques have made possible prompt diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection and the implementation of prophylactic strategies. Fungal infections still have a high associated mortality rate, despite new diagnostic techniques and new antifungal drugs.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España. jaguadog@medynet.com
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Aguado
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Reyne
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lumbreras
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections; D009181:Mycoses; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000628:therapy; D010272:Parasitic Diseases; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection; D014777:Virus Diseases
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous