Multiple herpes simplex virus infections with various resistance patterns in a matched unrelated donor transplant recipient

Bone Marrow Transplant. 2001 Oct;28(8):799-801. doi: 10.1038/sj.bmt.1703233.

Abstract

A 45-year-old matched unrelated BMT recipient had sequential mucocutaneous herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 infections. Five months after BMT, a penile lesion occurred and was cured using acyclovir, as expected from in vitro susceptibility results. The same lesion recurred 1 month later but worsened with acyclovir. The HSV isolate was resistant to acyclovir (IC(50) = 105 microM), and a nucleotide (G) was added to the thymidine kinase gene leading to a premature stop codon. The lesion improved markedly with foscarnet. During this treatment a second HSV infection occurred on the buttocks 2 weeks after the first one and healed completely with acyclovir. This course correlated with in vitro results of the buttock HSV isolate which was foscarnet-resistant (IC(50) = 300 microg/ml) and acyclovir-sensitive. Surprisingly, no mutation gene of the foscarnet-resistant isolate was detected in the DNA polymerase gene. This case shows that an HSV acyclovir-resistant infection may be followed by an acyclovir-sensitive one. Determination of antiviral susceptibility is needed to monitor the treatment of various HSV infections in immunocompromised BMT recipients.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Acyclovir / pharmacology
  • Acyclovir / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / therapeutic use
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation*
  • Cidofovir
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Cyclosporine / therapeutic use
  • Cytarabine / therapeutic use
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections / drug therapy
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections / etiology
  • Cytosine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Cytosine / pharmacology
  • Drug Resistance, Viral*
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Foscarnet / pharmacology
  • Foscarnet / therapeutic use
  • Graft vs Host Disease / drug therapy
  • Graft vs Host Disease / etiology
  • Herpes Genitalis / complications
  • Herpes Genitalis / drug therapy
  • Herpes Genitalis / virology
  • Herpes Simplex / complications*
  • Herpes Simplex / drug therapy
  • Herpes Simplex / virology
  • Humans
  • Hydroxyurea / therapeutic use
  • Immunocompromised Host
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Interferons / therapeutic use
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / drug therapy
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / therapy*
  • Male
  • Methotrexate / therapeutic use
  • Middle Aged
  • Organophosphonates*
  • Organophosphorus Compounds / pharmacology
  • Simplexvirus / drug effects*
  • Simplexvirus / isolation & purification
  • Transplantation Conditioning / adverse effects
  • Whole-Body Irradiation / adverse effects

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating
  • Antiviral Agents
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Organophosphonates
  • Organophosphorus Compounds
  • Cytarabine
  • Foscarnet
  • Cyclosporine
  • Cytosine
  • Interferons
  • Cidofovir
  • Acyclovir
  • Hydroxyurea
  • Methotrexate