Observational prospective study of viral infections in children undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation: a 3-year GETMON experience

Bone Marrow Transplant. 2011 Jan;46(1):119-24. doi: 10.1038/bmt.2010.52. Epub 2010 Mar 15.

Abstract

We studied surveillance, incidence and outcome of viral infections in children undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in the main pediatric transplant units in Spain. We prospectively collected data from first year post-HCT in every consecutive allogeneic HCT performed during 3 years (N = 215): first HCT = 188 and second HCT = 27; median age = 6.6 years (0.1-20.7). Most patients had acute leukemia (N = 137) and 135 recipients (63%) were CMV seropositive. A total of 46 patients underwent cord blood transplant, 133 patients underwent HCT from alternative donors (62%) and 101 patients received anti-thymocyte globulin. Observational time was completed in 137 patients, whereas the remaining 78 died after a median survival time of 99 days (3-352). CMV was monitored in all patients; adenovirus (ADV) and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) were monitored in 101 and 33 patients, respectively. We found 145 viral infections in 103 patients: CMV (n = 42), ADV (n = 32), HHV-6 (n = 7), polyomavirus (n = 20), EBV (n = 6), VZV (n=17) and others (n = 8). CMV infection was significantly higher in seropositive patients (25 vs 7%) (P = 0.02). Extensive chronic GVHD (cGVHD) was significantly associated with an increased rate of viral infections (12 of 16 patients with cGVHD had infections vs 91 of 199 without GVHD) (P = 0.035). In total, 10 patients (4.6%) died of viral infections (CMV = 5, ADV = 3, respiratory = 2). We found a high incidence of viral infection, but mortality was low.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antilymphocyte Serum / therapeutic use
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Graft vs Host Disease / complications
  • Graft vs Host Disease / epidemiology
  • Graft vs Host Disease / virology
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppression Therapy / adverse effects*
  • Incidence
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Leukemia / complications
  • Leukemia / therapy
  • Leukemia / virology
  • Male
  • Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Prospective Studies
  • Spain / epidemiology
  • Survival Analysis
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Viral Load
  • Virus Diseases / complications
  • Virus Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Virus Diseases / mortality
  • Virus Diseases / virology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antilymphocyte Serum