Epstein-Barr virus infection following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the era of letermovir for cytomegalovirus prophylaxis.

Abstract

Letermovir is an antiviral agent that significantly decreases the frequency of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT); however, its impact on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection remains unclear. This multicenter, retrospective study involved 565 patients aged ≥ 18 years, who underwent allo-HCT between January 2021 and December 2023, with 284 receiving letermovir prophylaxis (letermovir group) and 281 not (control group). Cumulative incidences of clinically significant CMV infection (cs-CMVi), EBV DNAemia, EBV-disease and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) were compared between the groups. The 1-year cumulative incidence of EBV DNAemia did not differ significantly between the letermovir and control groups (58.1% vs. 52.7%, P = 0.3). However, letermovir prophylaxis was associated with a significantly higher incidence of PTLD within the first year post-HCT (7.39% vs. 1.80%, P = 0.00059). Multivariate analysis identified letermovir prophylaxis as an independent risk factor for PTLD (HR [95% CI]: 4.619 [1.458-10.278], P = 0.007). Letermovir altered the early reconstitution trajectory after allo-HCT, particularly in CD8⁺ T cells. Our findings emphasized that although letermovir prophylaxis did not increase the risk of EBV DNAemia in allo-HCT recipients, it was associated with a higher incidence of PTLD. Further studies focusing on immune reconstitutiom dynamics are warranted to elucidate the underlying pathophysiology of EBV-PTLD under letermovir pressure.