Infectious diseases in pediatric transplantation: review of the literature 2007-2008.
After the first decades in the history of (pediatric) transplantation which focused on finding proper surgical techniques and the best immunosuppressive regimen, infections have been increasingly recognized as important for survival and quality of life in transplant recipients, and many researchers work on either decreasing the risk for infection or treating it (or both). This not exhaustive review of the scientific articles published between 2007 and 2008 looks from the infectious diseases point of view at the most exciting information for different types of transplanted organs. It reviews new approaches to frequent infections, such as BK virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, and adenoviral infections but also to Aspergillus and mold infections, which are linked with high mortality rates in transplant recipients. It also examines novel markers to discriminate between infection and rejection. Comments to each manuscript have been added, but we strongly encourage the reader to refer to the original work for more in depth evaluation.
Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Geneva, University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland.
Arnaud G
AG
L'huillier
Klara M
KM
Posfay-Barbe
D002648:Child; D014943:Global Health; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016377:Organ Transplantation; D012189:Retrospective Studies