Surveillance Study of Viral Infections Following Lung Transplantation

Overview

The present study was conducted to study the impact community acquired respiratory virus (CARV) infections in an outpatient setting on graft function of lung transplant recipients. The study was aimed to identify risk factors for CARV infections. The study was further intended to investigate an association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human adenovirus (HAdV) with the development of BOS and to identify risk factors for virus detection in blood.

Informed consent was obtained from the LTx recipients and the study was approved of by the institutional review board of Hannover medical school. LTx recipients are screened for CARV infections during the cold season (end October until end April) in a single-centre outpatient clinic. Symptoms of upper (URTI) and lower respiratory tract infections (URTI) are recorded by questionnaires and findings. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs (NOS) were performed to detect RV-antigens by immunofluorescence testing (IFT) of respiratory-syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, parainfluenza (PIV), influenza and cultures for CARV are performed. BAL was performed when clinically indicated and processed by IFT. Multiplex-PCR to detect 14 CARV are processed in symptomatic patients. In addition blood samples are monitored at each contact to investigate an association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human adenovirus (HAdV) with the development of BOS and to identify risk factors for virus detection in blood.

Conditions