Circulating EBV-DNA in the monitoring of EBV infection in pediatric liver transplant recipients

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection can induce uncontrolled lymphocyte B proliferation in immunosuppressed transplant recipients. The risk of developing EBV-related posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is particularly high in children who contract primary EBV infection after transplantation.1 The incidence of PTLD in the pediatric population following liver transplantation (LTx) can exceed 10%.2 It has been reported that the monitoring of EBV-specific DNA sequences in blood circulation of transplant recipients by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can help to identify patients at risk of developing PTLD before the onset of clinical signs. [3] and [4] The purpose of this study was to asses the use of quantitative detection of EBV-specific sequences in peripheral blood of pediatric liver transplant recipients for the early identification and for the presymptomatic treatment of EBV infection by immunosuppression reduction or withdrawal.