Clinical impact of ganciclovir-resistant cytomegalovirus infections in solid organ transplant patients

Clinical consequences of ganciclovir resistant cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections were studied during 2 large prophylactic trials consisting of 100 days of valganciclovir or ganciclovir prophylaxis in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. The first one involved 301 high-risk (CMV donor seropositive/recipient seronegative) SOT recipients excluding lung transplants followed for 12 months, whereas the second one involved 80 lung transplant patients evaluated over 6 months. Among the 7 patients (4 non-lung and 3 lung transplant patients) carrying viruses with known ganciclovir-resistance [corrected] mutations in blood, adverse clinical outcome was only observed in the lung transplant recipients. Additionally, no CMV resistance mutations were observed in non-lung transplant patients receiving valganciclovir.