Clinical features and outcomes of delayed-onset primary cytomegalovirus disease in cardiac transplant recipients.
BACKGROUND
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-seronegative recipients of cardiac allografts from CMV-seropositive donors (CMV D(+)/R(-)) are at highest risk of CMV disease after transplantation. This study was conducted to investigate the incidence, clinical features, risk factors and outcome of delayed-onset primary CMV disease in cardiac recipients who received anti-CMV prophylaxis.


METHODS
This study enrolled all CMV D(+)/R(-) cardiac recipients during the period from 2000 to 2004. The medical records of patients were reviewed to assess clinical variables and outcomes. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and survival analysis.


RESULTS
During the 5-year study period, a total of 31 cardiac recipients had CMV D(+)/R(-) serostatus (mean age +/- SD: 49.2 +/- 13.7 years; 74% male). All patients received oral ganciclovir (n = 6) or valganciclovir (n = 25) prophylaxis for a median duration of 95 days (interquartile range: 90 to 100). No breakthrough CMV disease was observed. However, 9 (29%) patients developed delayed-onset primary CMV disease (3 with CMV syndrome, 6 with gastrointestinal disease) during the period from 120 to 444 days after transplantation. No demographic or clinical variable was significantly associated with delayed-onset primary CMV disease. However, acute rejection with a severity of Grade >or=2 showed a trend toward association with CMV disease (hazards ratio: 2.46; 95% confidence interval: 0.66 to 9.2; p = 0.18). During the mean (+/-SD) follow-up period of 2.9 (+/-1.68) years, 3 patients died. CMV disease was not associated with all-cause mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
In the contemporary era of anti-viral prophylaxis, delayed-onset primary CMV disease remains a common complication among CMV D(+)/R(-) cardiac recipients. This finding warrants a better strategy for CMV prevention.
Kijpittayarit-Arthurs
Supha
S
Division of Infectious Diseases, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Eid
Albert J
AJ
Kremers
Walter K
WK
Pedersen
Rachel A
RA
Dierkhising
Ross A
RA
Patel
Robin
R
Razonable
Raymund R
RR
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000821:virology; D006085:Graft Survival; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D000077562:Valganciclovir
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000077562:Valganciclovir; D015774:Ganciclovir