Cytomegalovirus seroprevalence, infection, and disease in Chinese thoracic organ transplant recipients: a retrospective cohort study

BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Nov 22;22(1):872. doi: 10.1186/s12879-022-07853-x.

Abstract

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after transplantation. This study aimed to investigate CMV seroprevalence, infection, and disease in Chinese thoracic organ transplant recipients.

Methods: The clinical data of the patients who underwent lung and/or heart transplantation between January 2015 and October 2020 were retrospectively collected from four transplantation centers in China.

Results: A total of 308 patients were analyzed. The CMV serostatus was donor positive (D+) recipient negative (R-) in 19 (6.17%) patients, D+/R+ in 233 (75.65%), D-/R+ in 36 (11.69%), and D-/R- in 20 (6.50%). CMV DNAemia was detected in 52.3% of the patients and tissue-invasive CMV disease was diagnosed in 16.2% of the patients. Only 31.8% of the patients adhered to the postdischarge valganciclovir therapy. The D+/R- serostatus (odds ratio [OR]: 18.32; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.80-188.68), no valganciclovir prophylaxis (OR: 2.64; 95% CI: 1.05-6.64), and higher doses of rabbit anti-human thymocyte globulin (> 2 mg/kg) (OR: 4.25; 95% CI: 1.92-9.42) were risk factors of CMV disease.

Conclusion: CMV seroprevalence was high in Chinese thoracic organ transplant donors and recipients. The low adherence rate to the postdischarge CMV prophylaxis therapy in Chinese patients is still an unresolved issue.

Keywords: Cytomegalovirus; Pneumonia; Seroprevalence; Thoracic organ transplant; Valganciclovir.

MeSH terms

  • Aftercare
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Cytomegalovirus
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections* / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Organ Transplantation* / adverse effects
  • Patient Discharge
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Valganciclovir / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Valganciclovir