[Human herpesvirus 7 infection in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation]

Abstract

Objective: To study the prevalence of human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) infection in recipients following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).

Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected before and weekly after allo-HSCT from 72 consecutive recipients and 53 donors. Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) was used to monitor HHV-7 DNAemia.

Results: HHV-7 DNAemia was detected at least once in 86.1% (62/72) of the 72 patients on the median day 15.6 (7 approximately 56 days) after allo-HSCT. Continuing HHV-7 DNAemia (HHV-7 DNAemia maintained at least 4 weeks) was evidenced in 40.3% (29/72) of the patients after allo-HSCT. The prevalence of continuing HHV-7 DNAemia in the patients receiving HLA mismatched or HLA matched unrelated allo-HSCT who underwent conditioning with anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) was 48.9% (23/47), significantly higher than that in the patients receiving HLA matched related allo-HSCT with conditioning without ATG [24% (6/25), P = 0.040]. Enhanced incidence the prevalence of HHV-7 DNAemia in the patients receiving corticosteroid after allo-HSCT was 44.6% (39/65), significantly higher than that in the patients who did not receive corticosteroid [0% (0/7), P = 0.037]. No relationship was observed between HHV-7 infection and transplant-related complications including acute graft versus host disease, hemorrhagic cystitis, cytomegalovirus and HHV-6 infection.

Conclusion: Common in allo-HSCT recipients, HHV-7 DNAemia is closely associated with conditioning with ATG and application of corticosteroid after allo-HSCT.