Cytomegalovirus disease in renal transplant recipients: a single-center experience.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is an important complication and an independent risk factor for acute rejection and recipient morbidity-mortality. The aim of this study was to review the results of CMV disease in renal transplant recipients.


METHODS
We have retrospectively analyzed CMV disease in 120 renal transplant recipients and recorded the demographic features, clinical manifestations, and immunosuppressive regimens.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine recipients (24.1%) developed CMV disease after a median interval of 2.8 +/- 2,6 months from transplantation. CMV disease developed in 36.3% of recipients who received basiliximab as induction therapy and 21.4% of recipients who were treated with anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG). The most commonly used immunosuppressive regimen was cyclosporine-A (CsA)-based (79.3%). The mean cumulative steroid dose until the diagnosis was 3,600 mg methyl prednisolone per patient. Malaise, fever, and diarrhea were the most common symptoms. Gastritis, pneumonia, and transaminitis were the most commonly seen end-organ involvements. Frequent laboratory findings were leukopenia (34.5%), increased serum creatinine level (34.5%), and leukocytosis (20.7%). We performed renal biopsy to seven patients and detected acute rejection in four patients. In 25 patients, immunosuppressive treatment was modified. Relapsing CMV disease was seen in seven patients.


CONCLUSIONS
In our study, CMV disease was seen in recipients who were treated with basiliximab, a finding similar to recipients who were treated with ATG.
Department of Nephrology, Dokuz Eylul University, School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey. caner.cavdar@deu.edu.tr
Caner
C
Cavdar
Aygul
A
Celtik
Funda
F
Saglam
Aykut
A
Sifil
Koray
K
Atila
Ali
A
Celik
Pinar
P
Tosun
Oktay
O
Olmuscelik
Segmen
S
Bora
Huseyin
H
Gulay
Taner
T
Camsari
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000009:adverse effects; D000077552:Basiliximab; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000077552:Basiliximab