Haematologica, Vol 94, Issue 8, 1101-1108 doi:10.3324/haematol.2008.003186
Copyright © 2009 by Ferrata Storti Foundation
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Stem Cell Transplantation

Timing and severity of community acquired respiratory virus infections after myeloablative versus non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Joshua T. Schiffer1,2, Kate Kirby1, Brenda Sandmaier1,2, Rainer Storb1,2, Lawrence Corey1,2, Michael Boeckh1,2

1 Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
2 University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

Correspondence: Joshua T. Schiffer, M.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute and Program in Infectious Diseases, 1616 Eastlake Ave., LE-500 Seattle, WA 98102 USA. E-mail:jschiffe{at}fhcrc.org

Background: Respiratory virus infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality after hematopoietic cell transplantation. Their clinical course can be severe with progression to lower respiratory tract infection, co-infection with serious pulmonary co-pathogens, and high mortality. Non-myeloablative conditioning regimens achieve engraftment without eradication of host hematopoietic cells, which potentially allows for protection against infections commonly seen in hematopoietic cell transplantation patients treated with standard intensity conditioning regimens.

Design and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study to measure the incidence and severity of parainfluenza types 1–4, influenza (A and B), respiratory syncitial virus and human rhinovirus disease in myeloablative versus non-myeloablative versus autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation patients.

Results: The incidences of all respiratory virus infections were similar in the non-myeloablative and myeloablative cohorts but less in the autologous cohort (33/420 [7.9%], 150/1593 [9.4%], and 37/751 [4.9%], respectively, p<0.0001). However, respiratory virus lower tract infections were significantly less common during the first 100 days after transplantation in non-myeloablative patients compared to myeloablative and autologous patients (1/420 [0.2%], 34/1593 [2.1%] and 16/751 [2.1%], respectively, p=0.005. Respiratory virus lower tract infection had high co-infection and attributable mortality rates.

Conclusions: Respiratory virus lower tract infection during the first 100 days after hematopoietic cell transplantation was less common in persons receiving non-myeloablative conditioning regimens compared to myeloablative conditioning, despite a similar overall rate of acquisition.

Key words: respiratory virus, stem cell transplantation.