J Infect Dis 1992 Jan;165(1):170-4

Adenovirus infection in pediatric liver transplant recipients

Michaels MG, Green M, Wald ER, Starzl TE
Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine,
Pennsylvania

Abstract

A retrospective review of adenoviral infection in pediatric liver transplant
recipients was done at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh to define its
epidemiology and clinical importance. Medical records of patients with
adenovirus were reviewed and data collected regarding clinical course,
microbiologic studies, biopsy results, immunosuppression, concurrent infections,
and outcome. Of 484 liver transplant recipients, 49 had 53 episodes of
adenoviral infection. The most common sites of adenoviral infection were the
liver, lung, and gastrointestinal tract. Serotypes 1, 2, and 5 were recovered
most often; type 5 was commonly associated with hepatitis. Invasive adenoviral
infection occurred in 20 children, leading to death in 9. Median time from
transplantation until isolation of adenovirus was 25.5 days. This timing
suggests either reactivation or donor-associated transmission. Prospective
studies using molecular epidemiologic techniques will be helpful in evaluating
transmission patterns of adenovirus in this population