A Study to Improve the Safety of Transplantation: Is Control Necessary for Detecting Human Adenovirus in Umbilical Cord Blood Units?

INTRODUCTION: Umbilical cord blood (UCB) units are an alternative valuable source for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells (allo-HSCT). Patients undergoing allo-HSCT remain at high risk for complications and mortality due to viral infections such as human adenovirus (HAdV). HAdV, a double-stranded DNA virus, has been detected in the full-term placenta, raising concerns about vertical transmission. This study aims to examine the presence of HAdV in UCB samples to improve the safety of transplantation procedures.  Methods: A total of 98 UCB plasma samples were assayed to detect the presence of HAdV DNA using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology Results: Of the 98 UCB plasma samples analyzed for HAdV, three tested positive (3.06%). In control testing for prevalent pathogens, 67.3% of the samples were Cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG-positive (indicating past infection) and 4.2% were CMV IgM-positive (recent or active infection). All the samples were negative for human T-lymphotropic virus I-II (HTLV_I-II), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and human immunodeficiency virus I-II (HIV_I-II).

CONCLUSIONS: The detection of HAdV in a subset of UCB samples highlights the need to consider molecular screening for HAdV as part of routine safety evaluations in allogeneic UCB transplantation.