CMV and Renal Allograft Survival

A majority of renal transplant recipients become actively infected witb cytomegalovirus (CMV) (1). Most patients displaying CMV antibody preoperatively experience infections due to reactivation of latent virus. Primary CMV infections occur in preoperatively seronegative recipients due to organs from seropositive donors or to blood transfusions (2). CMV infection has serious consequences, including acute allograft rejection and patient death (1). Although CMV infection in renal allograft recipients has been thought to be associated with rejection and graft loss, there is little information concerning the relationship between tissue typing for HLA A, B and DR antigens, CMV infection, and renal allograft survival (3). In the present study the effect of CMV infection on the success of renal transplantation was assessed by serologic analysis of recipients before and following transplantation. Recipients were grouped based on the degree of incompatibility for HLA A, B and DR antigens with their donors.