Adenovirus infection in adult patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant: Incidence, clinical management, and outcome.

BACKGROUND

Adenovirus infection (ADVi) is an emergent complication in adult patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and is associated with poor outcome. Available data on risk factors and optimal management of ADVi in adult allo-HSCT recipients are limited, and recommendations on monitoring and pre-emptive therapy are mainly based on pediatric data.

METHODS

In this single-center, retrospective study, we reported all cases of positive ADV-DNA from adult patients undergoing allo-HSCT in the period 2014-2019. The study aimed to describe the incidence of ADVi at day +180 post-transplant. Secondly to describe timing, clinical presentation, risk factors, and outcome of ADVi and to analyze the application of a screening strategy in our cohort.

RESULTS

In 445 allo-HSCT recipients, the day +180 incidence was: 9% (39/445) for ADVi, 5% (24/445) for ADV viremia (ADVv), and 3% (15/445) for localized ADVi. The median time to ADVi was 65 (IQR 19; 94) days after HSCT. ADVv-related mortality was 13% (3/24), all cases occurring with blood max-ADV-DNA > 10^3 cp/mL. Independent risk factors for ADVi were diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disease (p = .011) and acute graft-versus-host-disease (p = .021).

CONCLUSIONS

In our cohort, ADVi and ADVv were more frequent than previously reported. ADVv with max-ADV-DNA > 10^3 cp/mL was associated with ADV-related mortality, thus careful monitoring and early initiation of treatment are advisable.