The impact of blood transfusion on the occurrence of pneumonitis in primary cytomegalovirus infection after liver transplantation

The influence of blood transfusion, and particularly the transfusion of blood from cytomegalovirus (CMV)-seropositive donors, on the incidence of primary CMV infection following liver transplantation was studied prospectively in 29 consecutive CMV-seronegative adult liver transplant recipients. Fourteen patients received a liver graft from a CMV- seropositive donor (Group A), whereas for 15 patients, the donor was CMV seronegative (Group B). Eleven patients (79%) in Group A but only two (13%) in Group B developed CMV infection (odds ratio, 23.8; 95% confidence interval, 3.5-169.4). In five Group A patients, primary CMV infection resulted in pneumonitis. There was no statistical difference in the total number of blood units and the number of units of CMV- seropositive blood given to patients who did or did not develop CMV infection in both Groups A and B (odds ratio for unit of CMV- seropositive blood transfused, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.96- 1.19). However, Group A patients who developed CMV pneumonitis received a higher total number of blood units (median, 44) and of CMV- seropositive blood units (median, 18) than did patients who developed other CMV infections (asymptomatic CMV, CMV syndrome, or CMV hepatitis), who received a median of 9 total units of blood and 5 units of CMV-seropositive blood (p = 0.004). It is concluded that the total number of blood units and of CMV-seropositive blood units transfused does not have an effect on the incidence of primary CMV infection after liver transplantation, but it does have an impact on the severity of the infection in recipients of a CMV-seropositive allograft.