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Valganciclovir Reduces Epstein-Barr Levels in Children With Liver Transplants NEW YORK -- July 31, 2008 -- Valganciclovir can lower the levels of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in children with liver transplants, according to a new study in the August issue of Liver Transplantation. About half of young transplant recipients with detectable levels of the virus in their blood responded to a long course of the therapy, with 60% maintaining their response when they stopped taking the drug. Paloma Jara, MD, Pediatric Liver Service, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain, and colleagues studied the effects of valganciclovir in 47 paediatric transplant recipients with detectable EBV DNA in their blood. The researchers aimed to decrease the risk of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) by blocking the viral replication that can lead to lymphocyte B proliferation. After a median 8 months of treatment, EBV DNA became undetectable in 20 of the 42 (47.6%) children who were asymptomatic at the start of the therapy. In addition, no new cases of PTLD developed. In 1 child who started the study with suspected PTLD, symptoms worsened over the course of the study. Factors associated with achievement of undetectable EBV DNA were a longer time from liver transplant and a lower rate of intervening infections in comparison with nonresponders. The safety profile was excellent, with no severe adverse events attributed to the drug. "Valganciclovir has been shown safe in the current study, and the population of children treated did not develop PTLD, warranting future trials to confirm a positive effect in the management of EBV infection," the authors wrote. The authors suggest that their results be interpreted with caution as they did not include a control group and because the short timeframe for follow-up yielded no definitive conclusions about EBV outcomes. SOURCE: Wiley-Blackwell E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version