title: Monitoring of Epstein-Barr virus load after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for early intervention in post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease.
abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease is a life-threatening complication following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction to evaluate EBV-genome copy numbers based on a nested polymerase chain reaction and an end-point dilution was used. Applying this assay EBV load was prospectively screened weekly in 123 patients after transplantation. The results demonstrate that EBV reactivations with more than 1,000 EBV-genome copies measured in 10(5) peripheral blood mononuclear cells were observed in 31 patients (25.2%). Three patients developed lymphoproliferative disease with extremely high EBV-genome copies in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (>100,000 copies/10(5) cells) and plasma. After combined antiviral and immune therapy two of three patients showed a dramatic decrease of EBV load and survived, while the third patient died of lymphoma. A subclinical EBV reactivation was observed in 24 cases (19.5%) with EBV-genome copies in 10(5) peripheral blood mononuclear cells ranging between 2,500 and mostly 10,000. After reduction of immunosuppression the EBV levels normalized. In four patients, the high copy number of > or =80,000 copies/10(5) peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma positivity prompted us to start pre-emptive therapy with rituximab and cidofovir for prevention of lymphoproliferative disease. After drug administration the high EBV load was reduced remarkably. Ninety-two patients (74.8%) who had < or =1,000 copies/10(5) peripheral blood mononuclear cells did not develop EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disease. In conclusion, monitoring of EBV load is a sensitive and useful parameter in the surveillance of EBV reactivation for early intervention in EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disease as well as for follow-up of the efficacy of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology and Antiviral Therapy, Medical Center, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany. astrid.meerbach@med.uni-jena.de
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meerbach
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wutzler
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Häfer
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zintl
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gruhn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia; D014775:Virus Activation
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral