Medical Microbiology | Virology | Transfusion Medicine | Hematopoietic Stem Cells
High dose valacyclovir is highly effective to prevent cytomegalovirus and other herpes viruses viremia
Marie Detrait*, Guy Boivin, Robert Delage, Claire Béliveau, Annie-Claude Labbé, Sandra Cohen, Thomas Kiss, Lambert Busque, Denis-Claude Roy, Guy Sauvageau, Jean Roy
*Corresponding author: Marie Detrait
Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital and Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
F1000Posters 2010, 1: 17 (poster) [ENGLISH]
Poster [1.87 MB]
Presented at
51st American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting 2009,
5 - 8 Dec 2009, 1140
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most important viral pathogen in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. Pre-emptive therapy has become the most commonly used strategy to prevent CMV disease after allogeneic HSCT and the use of a very effective pre-emptive antiviral agent could theoretically minimize the risk of CMV disease as well as abrogate prospective surveillance after allogeneic HSCT. Valacyclovir (VAL) is rapidly and extensively converted to acyclovir after oral administration, resulting in a 3- to 5-fold increased acyclovir bioavailability when compared with oral acyclovir, and conferring potential antiviral activity against CMV and other herpesviridae. We conducted a prospective randomized study based on the hypothesis that universal prophylaxis with VAL until D+100 after allogeneic HSCT in recipients at high risk of CMV reactivation would lead to a decreased incidence of CMV viremia as well as other herpesviridae reactivation.
We found that VAL prophylaxis is effective in preventing CMV, HSV and EBV reactivation after allogeneic HSCT. Further larger studies are needed to discover the optimal use of VAL in allogeneic HSCT recipients.
No relevant conflicts of interest declared.
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