Donor cytomegalovirus positivity reduces recipient infection risk.

2003 JUL 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) positivity in stem cell donors reduces the risk of posttransplant infections.

In a study from Austria, CMV "DNAemia was detected by PCR in 30/125 (24%) consecutive pediatric patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation."

"All patients with CMV DNAemia received pre-emptive ganciclovir until two consecutive negative results were obtained," noted S. Matthes-Martin and coauthors at St. Anna Children's Hospital in Vienna.

"CMV-IgG-positive patients (R+) had a significantly increased risk of DNAemia as compared to CMV-IgG-negative (R-) patients (62% vs. 8%, P < 0.0001)," test …