Adenovirus (AdV) infection after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has high rates of morbidity and mortality, especially in children. We retrospectively analysed the clinical and virological data of 36 children checked weekly for AdV after allogeneic HSCT from either an unrelated or T- and B-cell-depleted haploidentical donor. Nested PCR (exon gene) was used to seek viral DNA in respiratory and enteric swabs, blood, feces and urine. Nineteen patients (53%) were positive, 11 in more than one site of the body. Pre-emptive treatment was effective in seven cases. Two of the treated patients died of AdV disease, one of pneumonia and one of liver failure. This series was particularly at risk on account of the type of transplant, and the high frequency of AdV infection is confirmed. The death of two patients in spite of preemptive treatment underlines the need for prompt, appropriate therapy. Genotyping by Adenovirus-consensus (Argene-Biosoft) of 13 strains showed that species A and C were almost equally distributed.
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