Citomegalovirus: monitoraggio dell’infezione e della terapia nei pazienti trapiantati di rene

CMV infection is a major cause of disease following renal transplantation. Clinical diagnosis is difficult because the virus usually produces only few, if any, symptoms. Consequently rapid and sensitive diagnostic methods are needed, since clinically effective antiviral therapy is available. Qualitative-quantitative detection of CMV-DNA in leukocytes and in plasma and pp65-antigenaemia are the methods which allow to evidence viral replication activity. In this study we report the our experience about follow-up of 70 kidney transplant recipients. Results indicate that while active CMV infection occured in 25 patients (37,5%), only 11 patients (15,7%) showed antigenaemia and DNAemia values predictive of CMV disease. In this study we also evaluated the efficacy of pre-emptive therapy.