Laboratory Diagnosis of Adenoviral Infections in Transplant Recipients

Abstract

Adenovirus (AdV) is a common cause of mild respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract infections in immunocompetent children and adults. Among hematopoietic stem cell (HSCT) and solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients, such infections can be severe and lead to significant morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of AdV infections in immunocompromised individuals varies according to the degree of immunosuppression and age, with such infection due to either primary infections or reactivation of latent virus. Diagnosis of AdV is frequently made using molecular test methods, mainly qualitative and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Qualitative-PCR assays provide a presumptive diagnosis of AdV infections, while serial quantitative-PCR assay results provide clinical specificity in determining the significance of AdV detection in immunocompromised patients. Since AdV can be detected in various clinical specimens obtained from asymptomatic individuals, clinical correlation of positive AdV DNA test results is essential for clinical management of HSCT and SOT recipients.