CMV infections in bone marrow transplanted patients--evaluation of prophylaxis with Cytotect (CMV hyperimmuneglobulin).

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a frequent and clinically important infection following bone marrow transplantation. Candidates for this study were patients admitted for transplantation: 22 patients received bone marrow from a HLA-identical, MCR-nonreactive sibling, in 9 patients an autologous BMT was performed. The anti-CMV IgG (Cytotect) was administered at a dosage of 1 ml/kg on days -7, 13, 33, 53, 73 and 93 after BMT. 5 patients in the very beginning of our BMT program did not receive Cytotect. Patients were given random blood products from the bloodbank not tested for CMV positivity. Active CMV infection or seroconversion in our patients was defined as a rise in IgG titer against the late antigen of fourfold or more or an IgM increase. In the allogeneic BMT group the pretransplant serological status was in 6 cases negative in recipients and donor, in 7 patients positive in recipients and negative in donors, and in 4 patients positive in recipients and donors. Of the 6 patients seronegative in recipients and donors, 3 developed active infection and of the 7 patients pretransplant positive with seronegative donors 3 developed active infection and 4 latent infections during the period from 2 to 100 days following grafting. 1 patient out of the group transplanted in third partial remission of AML developed interstitial pneumonia and died on day +30.4 of the 4 cases with seropositivity of recipients and donors developed active CMV infection. Of 9 patients with autologous transplantation 6 patients were pretransplant seropositive. 3 of these 6 developed active infection and 2 latent infection 30 to 180 days after grafting.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)