Premium
High levels of human herpesvirus 6 DNA in peripheral blood leucocytes are correlated to platelet engraftment and disease in allogeneic stem cell transplant patients
Author(s) -
Ljungman P.,
Wang F.Z.,
Clark D. A.,
Emery V. C.,
Remberger M.,
Ringdén O.,
Linde A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2000.02422.x
Subject(s) - human herpesvirus 6 , medicine , immunology , viral load , univariate analysis , platelet , gastroenterology , polymerase chain reaction , herpesviridae , viral disease , virus , multivariate analysis , biology , biochemistry , gene
The aim of this study was to correlate human herpesvirus (HHV)‐6 viral load with clinical symptoms in allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT) patients. Seventy‐four patients were monitored during the first 3 months after SCT using a qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HHV‐6 DNA. HHV‐6 was detected in 181 out of 494 samples (36%) from 58 (78%) patients. These 181 samples were analysed using a quantitative competitive PCR. DNA could be quantified from 146 out of 181 samples (80·6%). The HHV‐6 viral load was highest at 4 weeks compared with 8 weeks ( P < 0·001) and 12 weeks ( P = 0·01) after SCT. Three patients had HHV‐6 encephalitis and one patient had hepatitis. The HHV‐6 DNA levels were higher in patients with HHV‐6 than in those without HHV‐6 ( P = 0·01). Patients who received grafts from unrelated or HLA‐mismatched family donors had significantly higher HHV‐6 DNA levels than patients who received grafts from matched sibling donors ( P < 0·001). In a multiple regression model, unrelated donor grafts ( P < 0·001) and use of intravenous immunoglobulin prophylaxis ( P = 0·04) influenced HHV‐6 DNA levels. HHV‐6 viral load was significantly correlated with delayed platelet engraftment in both univariate ( P < 0·01) and multivariate analysis, and to the number of platelet transfusions.