Donor-to-recipient transmission and reactivation in a kidney transplant recipient of an inherited chromosomally integrated HHV-6A: Evidence and outcomes

Vivien Petit, Pascale Bonnafous, Victor Fages, Agnès Gautheret-Dejean, Ilka Engelmann, Agathe Baras, Didier Hober, Romain Gérard, Jean-Baptiste Gibier, Emmanuelle Leteurtre, François Glowacki, Florence Moulonguet, Antoine Decaestecker, François Provôt, Paul Chamley, Emmanuel Faure, Bhupesh K Prusty, Mehdi Maanaoui (Corresponding Author), Marc Hazzan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Human herpesvirus (HHV)-6A can be inherited and chromosomally integrated (iciHHV-6A), and donor-to-recipient transmission has been reported in solid organ transplant. However, when HHV-6A reactivation happens after transplant, the source of HHV-6A is often not evident and its pathogenicity remains unclear. Here, we present an exhaustive case of donor-to-recipient transmission and reactivation of iciHHV-6A through kidney transplant. The absence of HHV-6A genome from the nails of the recipient excluded a recipient-related iciHHV-6A. Viral loads > 7 log10 copies/106 cells in donor blood samples and similarities of U38, U39, U69, and U100 viral genes between donor, recipient, and previously published iciHHV-6A strains are proof of donor-related transmission. Detection of noncoding HHV-6 snc-RNA14 using fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis and immunofluorescence staining of HHV-6A gp82/gp105 late proteins on kidney biopsies showed evidence of reactivation in the transplanted kidney. Because HHV-6A reactivation can be life threatening in immunocompromised patients, we provide several tools to help during the complete screening and diagnosis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3667-3672
Number of pages6
JournalAmerican Journal of Transplantation
Volume20
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords*

  • DNA, Viral
  • Herpesvirus 6, Human/genetics
  • Humans
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
  • Kidney Transplantation/adverse effects
  • Transplant Recipients
  • Virus Integration

Field of Science*

  • 1.6 Biological sciences
  • 3.2 Clinical medicine
  • 3.3 Health sciences

Publication Type*

  • 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database

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