A prospective study of oropharyngeal excretion of Epstein-Barr virus in renal homograft recipients.

This prospective study was undertaken to examine the incidence of oropharyngeal excretions of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the period after transplantation in human renal allograft recipients. Throat gargles from 23 recipients were tested for EBV. Five patients were already EBV excretors when the first specimens were tested. Of the remaining 18 patients 15 converted to positive within the first 7 months following transplantation. Three patients never excreted EBV in their throat gargles. This prospective study showed that 15/18 (83%) renal homograft recipients acquired active EBV infection (as indicated by excretion of EBV) after transplantation; 10/15 (66%) acquired active infection between 3-7 months after transplantation. We conclude that renal homograft recipients are highly susceptible to active EBV infection especially after the second month of transplantation.