01 Set EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS RE-ACTIVATION IN THE POST-KIDNEY TRANSPLANT PERIOD: RISK FACTORS AND POST-TRANSPLANT LYMPHOPROLIFERATIVE DISORDERS

Antonella Santoro

Background: Post-transplant lymphoproliferative diseases (PTLD) are cause of mortality in solid organ transplant recipients and EBV has a major role. Guidelines support EBV viral load monitoring for PTLD prevention in high-risk populations. Data to support this approach in populations at low risk of PTLD are lacking.
Methods: Retrospective observational study in patients (pts) that underwent a kidney transplant (KT)and with follow up in the Nephrology Clinic in Modena. We included all pts who had a quantitative EBV-DNA assay in the post-KT. We compared pts with negative EBV-DNA to pts with positive EBV-DNA. In pts with positive EBV-VL we compared pts with EBV-VL >4,000 copies/ml to pts with EBV-VL to 4,000 copies/ml.
Conclusions: Our study underlines the importance of EBV screening to support a pre-emptive approach, in high-risk pts. On the contrary, EBV-VL assays performed in low risk pts or after the first year post-transplant should be avoided in absence of a PTLD suspicion.