Stephen C. Marker

Cytomegalovirus disease in renal allograft recipients: a prospective study of the clinical features, risk factors and impact on renal transplantation.

Fifty-nine renal transplant recipients with overt CMV disease were treated at the University of Minnesota Health Sciences Center between October 1, 1977 and November 15, 1978. In a group of 141 consecutive transplant patients, the incidence of overt CMV disease was 31%. Fifty-three patients (90%) developed clinical manifestations of CMV disease within 4 months of transplantation, and it was during this time period that overt CMV disease was associated with a significantly increased incidence of transplant nephrectomy and death. Fever was the most common presenting symptom (95% of patients), and overt CMV disease was found to be the single most common cause of fever in all hospitalized transplant recipients. Prolonged fever, diffuse pulmonary infiltrates, gastrointestinal bleeding, pancreatitis, transplant nephrectomy and development of other systemic infections were clinical features used to categorize patients according to disease severity. A number of these features were found to be significantly associated with the diagnosis of overt CMV disease. Twelve patients (20%) developed lethal CMV disease characterized by the presence of most of these features, 6 (10%) had severe disease, 9 (15%) had disease of moderate severity and 32 patients (54%) had mild CMV disease with fever being essentially their only clinical finding. Development of secondary systemic infection was most ominous, and occurred before death in 10 of the 12 patients with lethal CMV disease. The only patients to die with serious bacterial, fungal or protozoan infection during the period of this study had concomitant overt CMV disease. Abnormal liver function tests and leukopenia were common, and the degree of abnormality correlated with the severity of CMV disease. Of the multiple factors analyzed for their influence on the risk of developing overt CMV disease, several factors related to the kidney donor (the relationship of the donor to the recipient, HLA matching and CMV serology) appeared to be most important.

SPECIFIC CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNE DEFECT IN ACTIVE CYTOMEGALOVIRUS INFECTION OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR MOTHERS

4 young children with active cytomegalovirus (C.M.V.) infection were found, by an in-vitro lymphocyte-proliferation assay, to have a C.M.V.-specific cell-mediated immune defect. These children had antibodies to C.M.V. and were actively shedding C.M.V. in the urine when studied. Their general cellular immune responses were intact, with normal numbers of T lymphocytes and normal in-vitro responses to mitogens and at least one antigen. 3 of the 4 mothers studied shortly after delivery had decreased cell-mediated immunity to C.M.V. These findings suggest that an antigen-specific immune defect facilitates transmission of virus from mother to infant and permits persistence of viral replication in the offspring.

Rifampin for CSF shunt infections caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci

COAGULASE-NEGATIVE STAPHYLOCOCCAL INFECTIONS are a common complication of cerebrospinal fluid shunt surgery. It is reported that among 289 patients, shunt infections occurred in 27% and half of these infections were caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci? The use of r i fampin in conjunction with other antibiotics has been reported effective in the treatment of coagulase-negative staphylococcal infection of prosthetic valves and CSF shunts? We have observed two patients with coagulase-negative staphylococcal shunt infections who, after poor responses to other antibiotics, showed rapid improvement when rifampin was added to the antibiotic regimen. These patients illustrate the need for further investigation of this potentially valuable antibiotic for the treatment of coagulase-negative staphylococcal infections, especially when response to other therapy has been poor.

Tuberculous joint disease in transplant patients

Three patients with tuberculosis, all manifesting monarticular joint involvement, among 845 renal allograft recipients at the University of Minnesota are reported on. Clinical symptoms, methods of diagnosis, and optimal antibiotic regimes are discussed. The physician must suspect tuberculous joint disease when confronted with monarticular swelling and pain in the transplant recipient.