title: [Significance of Epstein-Barr virus DNA quantitation in donors of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a well-known causative agent of various diseases including post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders. Although the level of EBV viral load in donors is expected to have a direct effect on recipients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), little has been studied providing a clear evidence for that. We performed EBV DNA quantitation in donors and analyzed the effect of donors' EBV viral load on the recipients after HSCT.
  
  
  METHODS
  EBV DNA quantitation of peripheral blood in 94 healthy HSCT donors was performed by real-time PCR. We analyzed the distribution of EBV viral load in HSCT donors and EBV positivity in the recipients transplanted from donors who had detectable EBV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen HSCT donors (16%) showed positive results in EBV real-time quantitative PCR. EBV viral load was below 500 copies/mL in 5 donors and above 500 (680-11,300) copies/mL in 10 donors. Five of the recipients (33.3%) transplanted from these 15 donors showed positivity in EBV PCR after HSCT. All of the EBV PCR positive recipients were transplanted from donors with viral load of >1,000 copies/mL, and 5 (71%) of 7 donors with viral load of >1,000 copies/mL was associated with posttransplant EBV PCR positivity in the recipients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher levels of EBV viral load in donors appear to be associated with EBV transmission to recipients in HSCT. EBV real-time quantitative PCR may be needed for screening EBV DNA level in HSCT donors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seungwon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Jihyang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Byung Sik
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hyojin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.forename: Myungshin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yonggoo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyungja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jong Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Woo Sung
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Min
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral