Spontaneously-resolving episodes of Cytomegalovirus DNAemia in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: virological features and clinical outcomes.

It has been reported that low plasma cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA loads are associated with an increased risk of overall mortality in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Utilizing a conservative strategy for initiation of preemptive antiviral therapy (PET) (>1,500 IU/ml), we characterized the virological features of spontaneously-resolving episodes of CMV DNAemia and assessed their impact on mortality through the first year after transplantation. We reviewed the CMV DNA PCR results and clinical charts of 230 consecutive adult patients who underwent T-cell replete allo-HSCT at our center. A total of 280 episodes of CMV DNAemia were registered in 164 patients, of which 144 episodes cleared spontaneously. Clearance of CMV DNAemia was significantly delayed in initial and recurrent self-resolving episodes featuring CMV DNA peak loads >250 IU/ml compared with those displaying lower values. All-cause mortality in patients with self-resolving episodes of CMV DNAemia was comparable (P=0.7) to that in patients with no CMV DNAemia and was not related to the CMV DNA peak load (≥250 IU/ml vs. <250 IU/ml) (P=0.6). In summary, in our setting, the magnitude of the CMV DNA peak load reached during self-resolving episodes of CMV DNAemia correlated directly with duration of episodes, but had no apparent impact on all-cause mortality taking patients with no documented CMV DNAemia as a reference. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.