Evidence for an increased rate of bacterial infections in liver transplant patients with cytomegalovirus infection

Abstract

It has been reported that cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections increase the susceptibility of transplant patients for other opportunistic infections. Most of these studies date back from a time when CMV infection was difficult to diagnose and antiviral treatment not available. We therefore analyzed CMV-related morbidity after OLT in 111 consecutive patients. CMV monitoring was done weekly using the antigenemia assay, a quantitative marker of the viral load, in addition to serology. CMV infection occurred in 66/95 (69%) evaluable patients. Antigenemia was detected in 94% of them. The number of CMV antigen-positive cells was helpful to monitor the course of infection and differentiate CMV disease from other complications. CMV infection was symptomatic in 48/66 (73%) patients. Mild disease occurred in 30 patients, and severe constitutional symptoms or organ involvement in 18. No patient died as a direct result of CMV infection, but mortality between day 30 and 180 tended to be higher in CMV-infected patients (15 vs. 0%, p < 0.1). CMV infection was associated with a 2.45-fold higher incidence of major infections between day 30 and 180 after OLT (p < 0.05). Most of these infections were caused by gram-positive cocci. We conclude that CMV not only causes substantial morbidity, but also increases the risk of bacterial infections.