Transplant infectious disease : an official journal of the Transplantation Society
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Review Case Reports
Outcome of treatment of Epstein-Barr virus-related post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder in hematopoietic stem cell recipients: a comprehensive review of reported cases.
Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an important complication in high-risk allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. Before the current methods of anti-EBV therapy were introduced, the mortality from PTLD after HSCT was >80%. With current approaches the mortality from EBV-PTLD can be significantly reduced. ⋯ A reduction of immunosuppression and/or donor lymphocyte infusion might also reduce the risk of death due to EBV-PTLD. Although it is difficult to estimate these effects more precisely because of the frequent use of combination therapies, the responses to these modalities can be estimated to be 56.6% and 41.0%, respectively. Finally, chemotherapy seems not to contribute to improved survival of patients with PTLD after HSCT and antiviral agents are not active against PTLD.
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Bacteremias, which are often caused by gram-negative bacteria, are the most frequently occurring infectious complications after liver transplantation (LT). The aim of this study was to investigate bacteremic incidence, pathogenic spectrum, risk factors for bacteremia due to multidrug resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacilli, and its impact on mortality after LT. ⋯ Post-LT bacteremias caused by MDR gram-negative bacilli are common, and associated with allograft acute rejection, post-LT reoperation, and abdominal infection. The increasing isolates of MDR gram-negative bacilli pose a great challenge for clinical treatment.
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Comparative Study
Infectious complications associated with alemtuzumab use for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: comparison with anti-thymocyte globulin.
To evaluate the incidence of infectious complications after receiving alemtuzumab as part of a conditioning regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in Korean patients. ⋯ Alemtuzumab recipients had a high incidence of CMV disease as well as BK virus-associated HC compared with the ATG recipients. The dose of alemtuzumab should be tailored to patients' risk; in addition, the implementation of the appropriate prophylaxis for CMV and early detection strategies for BK virus are recommended.
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Gram-positive (GP) organisms are among the most common cause of infections in early postsurgical and immunocompromised populations. Patients recovering from lung transplantation (LT) are particularly susceptible owing to the physiologic stress imposed by surgery and induction with intense immunosuppression. Sites, types, and timing of GP infections following LT are not well documented. This report describes the clinical spectrum of GP infections and their effects on surgical airway complications (SAC) and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) following LT. ⋯ GP organisms were responsible for infections in 40% of lung allograft recipients and most commonly isolated from the respiratory tract and blood stream. Staphylococcal species were most frequently identified, 42% of which were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Given the strong association of respiratory tract infections with the development of SAC and BOS, empiric antimicrobial strategies after LT should include agents directed against GP organisms, especially MRSA.