Early Post-Transplant Torquetenovirus Viremia Predicts Cytomegalovirus Reactivations In Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Sci Rep. 2018 Oct 19;8(1):15490. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-33909-7.

Abstract

Monitoring the human virome has been recently suggested as a promising and novel area of research for identifying new biomarkers which would help physicians in the management of transplant patients. Imbalance of the immune system in transplant recipients has a significant impact on replication of Torquetenovirus (TTV), the most representative and abundant virus of human virome. TTV kinetic was studied by real-time PCR in 280 liver or kidney transplant recipients who underwent different drug regimens to maintain immunosuppression. During one-year post-transplant follow-up, TTV viremia fluctuated irrespective of transplanted organ type but consistent with the immunosuppression regimen. TTV kinetic in patients who manifested cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation within the first four months post-transplant differed from that observed in patients who did not experience CMV complications. Importantly, plasma TTV load measured between day 0 and 10 post-transplant was significantly higher in CMV DNA positive than in CMV DNA negative patients. TTV viremia above 3.45 log DNA copies/ml within the first 10 days post-transplant correlates with higher propensity to CMV reactivation following transplantation. This study provides further evidence for using early post-transplant TTV viremia to predict CMV reactivation in liver or kidney transplant recipients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cytomegalovirus / physiology*
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections / virology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppression Therapy
  • Kidney Transplantation*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Postoperative Complications / diagnosis
  • Postoperative Complications / virology*
  • Prognosis
  • Time Factors
  • Torque teno virus / physiology*
  • Transplant Recipients
  • Viral Load
  • Viremia
  • Virus Activation
  • Young Adult