title: Human herpesvirus 6 in donor biopsies associated with the incidence of clinical cytomegalovirus disease and hepatitis C virus recurrence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reactivation of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), as well as the recurrence of hepatitis C virus (HCV), occurs in the post liver transplantation period. However, their correlations remain questionable. The objectives of this study were to analyze the presence of CMV DNA and HHV-6 DNA in pre-transplant and post-transplant liver graft biopsies and to determine any correlations with CMV disease and HCV recurrence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one liver transplant recipients were followed up in the post-transplant period. The presence of CMV DNA and HHV-6 DNA was detected by nested PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four patients (4/41, 9.8%) were positive for CMV DNA in pre-transplant biopsies and three of them remained positive after transplantation; 11 patients became positive in the post-transplant biopsies (p=0.06). Fifteen (15/41, 36.6%) patients were positive for HHV-6 DNA in pre-transplant biopsies and 11 of these remained positive after transplantation. Another 11 patients became positive after the surgery (p=0.05). CMV disease occurred in 17 recipients; 10 of these 17 (58.8%) patients were positive for HHV-6 DNA in pre-transplant biopsies and they continued positive after transplantation (p=0.0128). Twenty-eight patients were transplanted due to hepatitis C; 12 of these patients had recurrence of the virus, and HHV-6 was positive in nine of the 12 (75%) patients (p=0.049).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recipients with HHV-6 DNA in pre-transplant graft biopsies remained positive post transplantation, showing a possible risk for post-transplant allograft loss because there was an association between HHV-6 and recurrent HCV and CMV disease.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Science, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Carolina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Guardia
authors.forename: Raquel Silveira Bello
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Stucchi
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sampaio
authors.forename: Arlete
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Milan
authors.forename: Sandra Cecília Botelho
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Célia Regina
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Pavan
authors.forename: Ilka de Fátima Santana Ferreira
authors.initials: Ide F
authors.lastname: Boin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000821:virology; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult