Use of Foscarnet Therapy for EBV Infection following Control of PTLD with Enhancement of Cellular Immunity in a Lung-Transplant Recipient.

Abstract

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a serious complication following solid organ transplantation with an annual incidence rate of 3-5% in lung-transplant recipients. Pathogenesis indicates a strong association with functional over-immunosuppression and EBV infection. Clinical improvement is generally observed with reduction in immunosuppression intensity alone. We present a case of a 24-year-old woman with EBV-associated PTLD following lung transplant where decreasing the immunosuppression improved PTLD but was ineffective against controlling the EBV infection. Foscarnet in combination with immunoglobulins was successfully administered to cause a remission of the EBV infection. This is the second case reported of a persistent EBV infection after reducing immunosuppression levels and evidence of PTLD remission that required foscarnet for EBV infection control.

• Authors: Kamyar Afshar, A Purush Rao, Vipul Patel, Kevin Forrester, Sivagini Ganesh
• Journal: Journal of transplantation (J Transplant) Vol. 2011 Pg. 919651 ( 2011) ISSN: 2090-0015 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21423547 (Publication Type: Case Reports)