title: Epstein-Barr viral load before a liver transplant in children with chronic liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many children with chronic liver disease require a liver transplant. These patients are prone to various infections, including Epstein-Barr virus infection. This study sought to measure the Epstein-Barr viral load by polymerase chain reaction before a liver transplant.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was done at the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, in 2011. All patients were aged younger than 18 years with chronic liver disease and were candidates for a liver transplant at the Shiraz Nemazee Hospital Organ Transplant Center. They had been investigated regarding their demographic characteristics, underlying disease, laboratory findings, and Epstein-Barr viral load by real-time TaqMan polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-eight patients were studied and the mean age was 6.5 ± 5.9 years. Cryptogenic cirrhosis was the most-prevalent reason for liver transplant, and the death rate before a transplant was 15%. Among the study subjects, 6 had measurable Epstein-Barr viral load by polymerase chain reaction before the transplant, and 4 of them had considerably higher Epstein-Barr viral loads (more than 1000 copies/mL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With respect to the close prevalence of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (6%) and the high Epstein-Barr viral load in the patients before a transplant (4%), high pretransplant Epstein-Barr viral load can be considered a risk factor for posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Pediatrics, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Nemazee Teaching Hospital, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shakibazad
authors.forename: Naser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Honar
authors.forename: Seyed Mohsen
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Dehghani
authors.forename: Abdolvahab
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alborzi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007492:Iran; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral