Human Herpesvirus 6 Reactivation Evaluated by Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction and Its Association with Dynamics of CD134-Positive T Cells after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Abstract

Background: Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) causes life-threatening central nervous system disorders after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Recent studies implicated CD134 as a specific receptor of HHV-6B and demonstrated that its expression levels in CD4-positive T cells after allo-HSCT could be related to the reactivation of HHV-6. We prospectively evaluated the relationship between HHV-6 reactivation and CD134+ T cells in the recipients of allo-HSCT. Methods: HHV-6 viral load in plasma was quantitatively measured weekly after allo-HSCT by digital polymerase chain reaction in 34 patients. The ratio of CD134 in CD4+ T cells (CD134/CD4 ratio) was serially measured by flow cytometry before and after transplantation. Results: HHV-6 reactivation was detected in 23 patients (68%). The CD134/CD4 ratio before conditioning was significantly higher in patients with HHV-6 reactivation than in those without (median, 3.8% vs 1.5%, P