Background: Until recently, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection represented a major threat to lung transplant recipients. Preliminary studies have shown that antiviral prophylaxis might improve the outcome for these patients.
Methods: We extended our initial pilot trial of prolonged prophylaxis with either oral ganciclovir (1 g 3 times per day) or valganciclovir (450 mg twice per day). The trial included 96 patients who were at risk for CMV-related events.
Results: CMV prophylaxis resulted in a significant decrease in CMV-related events (i.e., active infection and disease), from 75% in a control group and for 274 cases from the literature who did not receive prophylaxis to a cumulative incidence of 27% (P < .001). Only 11% of the prophylaxis recipients experienced CMV disease (P = .002). Moreover, at 5 years, there was a significant decrease in the rate of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, from 60% to 43% (P = .002), and an improved rate of survival, from 47% to 73% (P= .036), irrespective of the immunosuppressive regimen received. CMV strains with UL97 mutations were recovered from 7 of 12 analyzed cases, but the presence of this mutation had no impact on the severity of CMV disease.
Conclusions: A regimen of prolonged ganciclovir or valganciclovir prophylaxis decreased the rate of active CMV infection and disease, reduced the incidence of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, and improved the survival rate. Drug-resistant CMV strains may occur, but such strains appeared to have no impact on the outcome of CMV-related events.