Risk Factors Analysis for Human Cytomegalovirus Viremia in Donor+/Recipient+ Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Objective: To assess the rate of, and risk factors for, human cytomegalovirus viremia (HCMV) in donor /recipient - (HCMV serostatus matched) hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. Methods: HCMV DNA from 144 donor(+)/recipient(+) HSCT recipients was examined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Results: The cumulative incidence of HCMV viremia was 69.4% (100/144) during the 48 weeks after HSCT. In a multivariate analysis, acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) was discovered to be a risk factor for the occurrence of HCMV viremia (P = .006). The cumulative incidence of HCMV viremia and increasing DNA loads were significantly associated with aGVHD occurrence (P = .001 for each). The occurrence of late-term HCMV viremia was associated with aGVHD (P = .001) and a higher DNA load during the first 12 weeks after HSCT (P = .04). Conclusions: aGVHD is a risk factor for HCMV viremia. Recipients with aGVHD who have a high HCMV DNA load should be strictly monitored to prevent HCMV activation.