Predictors of cytomegalovirus infection in patients with connective tissue disease treated by pulsed methylprednisolone therapy: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can cause life-threatening diseases in immunosuppressed patients. Some of the patients with connective tissue disease develop CMV infection, and approximately half of this group has been reported to have received pulsed-methylprednisolone (p-MPSL) therapy. This study aimed to identify predictors of the onset of CMV infection in patients receiving p-MPSL therapy for connective tissue disease.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, multicenter cohort study. We included patients who received p-MPSL therapy for connective tissue disease and had CMV antigenemia measured between April 2011 and December 2020. Peripheral blood cell data before the start of p-MPSL therapy and at the start of steroid tapering were collected in addition to baseline characteristics, including age, sex, and body mass index. CMV infection was defined as detection of one or more CMV antigen-positive cells (CMV-positive). The study examined and compared the CMV-positive group with the CMV-negative group. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the factors associated with CMV antigen positivity. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to identify the cut-off values for the factors associated with CMV antigen sensitivity.

RESULTS

Of the 200 patients included, 87 had antigen positivity. Logistic regression analysis showed that age ≥ 65 years [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.75, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.54-4.92] and platelet count less than 30.20 × 104 /µL [aOR: 4.38, 95%CI: 2.21-8.68] at baseline were significantly associated with CMV antigen positivity. Lymphocyte count < 1440 /µL [aOR: 5.36, 95% CI: 1.96-14.65], neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) ≥ 3.42 [aOR: 7.31, 95% CI: 2.52-21.22], and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) ≥ 145.28 [aOR:6.10, 95% CI: 2.24-16.64] at the start of steroid tapering also increased the OR for CMV infection. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for lymphocytes, NLR, and PLR were 0.742, 0.693, and 0.673 respectively.

CONCLUSION

Platelet count, lymphocyte count, NLR, and PLR may be crucial predictors of the onset of CMV infection in patients with connective tissue disease. These easily obtainable factors may be clinically useful as predictors of CMV infection. A potential research area would be to validate the parameters in a prospective patient population.