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Enterovirus infections in pediatric hematologic/oncologic patients
Author(s) -
Strenger Volker,
Kessler Harald H.,
Stelzl Evelyn,
Aberle Stephan W.,
Keldorfer Markus,
Zach Klara,
Karastaneva Anna,
Sperl Daniela,
Lackner Herwig,
Benesch Martin,
Urban Christian,
Dornbusch Hans Jürgen
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
pediatric blood and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.116
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1545-5017
pISSN - 1545-5009
DOI - 10.1002/pbc.27448
Subject(s) - medicine , viremia , cohort , enterovirus , rna , picornavirus , pediatric cancer , pediatrics , cancer , immunology , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , virus , biochemistry , chemistry , gene
Background Enteroviruses (EV) are a large group of Picornaviruses associated with respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurologic symptoms in the immunocompetent host. Little is known about the epidemiologic and clinical impact in pediatric hematologic/oncologic patients. Procedure From 2001 through 2017, different clinical specimens were collected from pediatric hematologic/oncologic patients and were tested for enteroviral RNA. Results Of 13 004 specimens collected from 761 patients, 38 (0.3%) obtained from 14 patients (1.8%) tested positive for EV RNA. Viral shedding was observed without viremia and vice versa. None of 80 cerebrospinal fluid specimens obtained from 60 patients with neurologic symptoms were positive for EV RNA. None of 14 patients positive for EV RNA showed EV‐specific symptoms. In 11/14 patients, EV RNA was found to be negative in the follow‐up specimen. The remaining patient with a severe primary immune deficiency showed repeated positive EV RNA results for >5 years. Conclusions In this pediatric hematologic/oncologic cohort, EV infection occurred rarely and without related symptoms. Specimens concurrently obtained from one patient are commonly not in accordance with each other. In the vast majority of patients, EV RNA appears to turn negative in the follow‐up specimen. EV infections seem to have a low impact in this patient cohort.