title: Prophylactic therapy with valgancyclovir in high-risk (cytomegalovirus D+/R-) liver transplant recipients: a single-center experience.
abstract: A retrospective study was performed in liver transplant patients with high risk to develop cytomegalovirus infection (CMV D+/R-) who were treated with valgancyclovir for 3 months as prophylactic therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of prophylactic therapy with valgancyclovir. Weekly CMV antigenemia was routinely assessed during the first 3 months posttransplantation, twice a month to month 6, and monthly until the end of the first year, as well as when clinically indicated. The follow-up period was 1 year. From January 2003 to February 2007, 199 liver transplantations were performed at our institution, including 23 (11%) high-risk patients for CMV infection. Median age was 47 +/- 11.6 years. Nineteen patients (70.4%) were men. Five subjects (21.7%) developed CMV infections. Three patients with positive CMV antigenemia at 3, 4, or 6 months posttransplantation were asymptomatic, while 2 (8.7%) showed gastrointestinal CMV disease at 2 months posttransplantation or CMV hepatitis at 1 month after the end of the prophylactic therapy. Treatment with intravenous gancyclovir followed by oral valgancyclovir was successful in both patients. No opportunistic infections were observed and only 1 patient developed leukopenia as an adverse event related to valgancyclovir.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Servicios de Cirugía Hepáto-biliar y Trasplante Hepático, Digestivo y Microbiología, Hospital Universitario de Cruces, Bilbao, Spain. josemiguel.montejobaranda@osakidetza.net
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montejo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Montejo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gastaca
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valdivieso
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Testillano
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bustamante
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ventoso
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.forename: J Ortiz
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: de Urbina
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018890:Chemoprevention / Q000379:methods; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077562:Valganciclovir
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D000077562:Valganciclovir; D015774:Ganciclovir; D016559:Tacrolimus