title: Time of onset, viral load, relapse, and duration of active cytomegalovirus infection in bone marrow transplant outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Active cytomegalovirus infection remains a major problem for bone marrow transplant recipients. If not quickly diagnosed and treated, it can evolve into cytomegalovirus disease, which represents a life-threatening complication. In this work, we sought to evaluate the interactions between clinical complications after bone marrow transplant and factors associated with active cytomegalovirus infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 91 allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients (35 female, 56 male; median age, 20 years; age range, 3-47 years) for malignant and nonmalignant hematologic diseases. Active cytomegalovirus infection was monitored using pp65 cytomegalovirus antigenemia and a semiquantitative cytomegalovirus polymerase chain reaction. Cytomegalovirus end-organ disease was defined as an association between compatible signs and symptoms (dyspnea, hypoxia, and diarrhea) and detection of cytomegalovirus (>or= 2,000 cytomegalovirus genome copies/mL) by hybrid capture assay in tissue biopsy. Variables were compared using the chi-square and Fisher exact tests. Time of death after bone marrow transplant was plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. A Cox regression model was used for multivariate survival analysis with 95% confidence limits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-four patients experienced active cytomegalovirus infection, 26 had acute graft-versus-host disease, and 11 had cytomegalovirus diseases. The overall survival rate at 4 years was 83.52%. On multivariate analyses, cytomegalovirus disease (hazard ratio = 15.9, P = .001) and age older than 18 years (hazard ratio = 8, P = .18) were the only independent negative prognostic factors for overall survival. Occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease was increased by early active cytomegalovirus infection (P = .03) and represents a significant factor for active cytomegalovirus infection recurrence (P = .01). Viral load as quantified by antigenemia and cytomegalovirus DNA in the patients' peripheral blood leukocytes was significantly associated with clinical complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Active cytomegalovirus infection interacts significantly in several ways with graft-versus-host disease and others infections. Acute graft-versus-host disease increases the chances of a poor outcome, especially of acquiring cytomegalovirus disease. Cytomegalovirus disease constitutes a significant independent risk factor for death after bone marrow transplant.
authors.affiliation: Service des Laboratoires, Faculte de Medecine de Tunis, Tunisia. ksourih_2000@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Ksouri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Habib
authors.forename: Torjman
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lamia
authors.forename: Lakhal
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Amel
authors.forename: Abdelkefi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdelrahmen
authors.forename: Ladeb
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saloua
authors.forename: Eljed
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hana
authors.forename: Slim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amine
authors.forename: Zouari
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bechir
authors.forename: Ben Othmen
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Tarek
authors.forename: Ben Hassen
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Assia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000150:complications*; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load