Cytomegalovirus infection as a common complication following liver transplantation.

ABSTRACT

The aim of our study was to assess the incidence course, influence on liver function, diagnostic methods, prophylaxis of, and cost treatment effectiveness of CMV infection among 123 consecutive liver transplant recipients. All patients received immunoglobulin and parenterall gancyclovir as prophylaxis. CMV IgM and IgG antibodies were determined using an ELISA method. Thirty seven patients (30.0%) developed CMV infection. Main indications for primary LTX were immune liver disease (n = 22), viral hepatitis (n = 5), and other (n = 10). CMV infection occurred between the days 5 and 416. Ten patients (27.0%) developed more than one infection (52 infections in total). Asymptomatic CMV infection was diagnosed in six cases (16.2%), CMV syndrome in 11 cases (29.7%), and hepatitis in 35 cases. All patients were treated with gancyclovir and immunoglobulin (18 cases). The intensity of infection was mild or moderate. There was no case of pneumonia or neurological disease, nor the need to use foscarnet. The correlations between the incidence of CMV infection and acute rejection, tacrolimus versus cyclosporine regimens, dual versus triple immunosupressive schemes were not statistically significant, whereas anti-IL-2R-ab antibodies markedly reduced the incidence of CMV infection (P <.05). The values of CMV IgM significantly differred before/during infection (P <.001) and before/after infection (P <.05). In conclusion, prophylaxis and antiviral treatment result in a mild or moderate intensity of CMV infection with acceptable costs. Among immunosuppressive drugs, only anti-IL-2Rab was proved to significantly reduce the incidence of CMV.