Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Ppublish 4 citations
PubMed: 38477177 DOI: 10.1111/ctr.15287
The impact of active cytomegalovirus infection on donor-derived cell-free DNA testing in heart transplant recipients.
Clin Transplant 38(3):e15287
Authors: Amit H Alam, Johanna Van Zyl, Hira I Shakoor, Dana Farsakh, Ahmad B Abdelrehim, Neville Maliakkal, Aayla K Jamil, Raksha Patel, Joost Felius, Staci McKean, Shelley A Hall
Affiliations
- Division of Cardiology, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York, USA.
- Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine, Dallas, Texas, USA.
- Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Baylor Scott & White Health, Dallas, Texas, USA.
- Center for Advanced Heart and Lung Disease, Baylor University Medical Center, Baylor Scott & White Health, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the relationship between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections and donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) in heart transplant recipients.
METHODS
In our study, CMV and dd-cfDNA results were prospectively collected on single-organ heart transplant recipients. If the CMV study was positive, a CMV study with dd-cfDNA was repeated 1-3 months later. The primary aim was to compare dd-cfDNA between patients with positive and negative CMV results.
RESULTS
Of 44 patients enrolled between August 2022 and April 2023, 12 tested positive for CMV infections, 25 were included as controls, and seven patients with a viral infection without CMV were excluded. Baseline characteristics did not differ significantly between CMV-positive and CMV-negative patients with the exception of a later median time post-transplant in the CMV-positive group (253 days vs. 120 days, p = .03). Dd-cfDNA levels were significantly higher in patients with CMV infections compared to those without (p < .001) with more patients in the CMV positive group showing dd-cfDNA results ≥.12% (75% vs. 8%, p < .001) and ≥.20% (58% vs. 8%, p = .002). Each 1 log copy/ml reduction in CMV viral load from visit 1 to visit 2 was associated with a.23% reduction in log dd-cfDNA (p = .002).
CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that active CMV infections may raise dd-cfDNA levels in patients following heart transplantation. Larger studies are needed to validate these preliminary findings.
MeSH
Cells, Research Design, Heart, Cytomegalovirus Infections, Cell-Free Nucleic Acids, Cytomegalovirus, Transplants, Dna, Transplantation, Infections