Cytomegalovirus and adenovirus infections and diseases among 75 paediatric unrelated allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients.

Viral infections remain a major complication of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. A population of children who underwent unrelated allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in a single centre has been followed-up for viral infections and diseases. We describe the detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and adenovirus among 75 children transplanted between 1989 and 2000. CMV was detected among 22 patients (29%) and adenovirus among 19 patients (25%); they were associated with clinical diseases in 10 and 8 patients, respectively. Four patients had adenovirus and CMV coinfection. The obvious risk factor for CMV infection is seropositivity of the recipient prior to transplantation. Adenovirus is detected significantly more frequently when conditioning regimen includes anti-thymocyte or anti-lymphocyte globulin. Diseases associated with adenovirus have been correlated with a significantly higher mortality rate, stressing the need for the implementation of a systematic virological survey for this virus and for the evaluation of therapeutic protocols including new molecules. (C) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.