Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the main causes of opportunistic infections after kidney transplantation. Manifestations of CMV disease in post renal transplantation patients are quite discreet, non-specific and difficult to diagnose early. Asymptomatic recurrent CMV infection has been reported remarkably to increase mortality rate and rejection incidence, and effect on graft survival. The recently follow-up and treatment procedures’ changes  make it urgent to re-evaluate the incidence and the factors related to the risk of CMV recurrence as well as the clinical characteristics of CMV infection in postkidney transplantation patients. This helps to control the recurrence of CMV infection as well as to diagnose CMV disease early and treat it promptly and  appropriately to reduce the mortality rate of patients after transplantation.

Method:
Objective 1: Retrospective cohort study of adult renal transplant recipients between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2018.
Objective 2: A cross - sectional descriptive study on 22 cases of CMV disease in post kidney transplant patients to present a review of the main clinical aspects of cytomegalovirus infection in renal transplants with a focus on clinical approach and its future perspectives.

Results:
Objective 1:  A total of 365 patients who received a renal transplant at Cho Ray hospital in the study time period were reviewed for the presence of CMV infection occurring less than 540 days after transplant. The recurrent CMV infection was observed in 254 cases (69,6%), but only 3 patients (0,8%) developed CMV disease. Independent risk factors of CMV infection were HLA  >80 (HR = 2,309, 95% CI 1,021 – 4,071, p = 0,044), daily oral Prednisone doses used <0,5 mg/kg/day (HR = 0,178, 95% CI 0,084 – 0,374, p <0,001), Tacrolimus whole blood trough concentration ≤10 µg/L (HR = 0,445, 95% CI 0,243 – 0,816, p = 0,009), Cyclosporine wole blood trough concentration >150 µg/L (HR = 4,25, 95% CI 1,97 – 9,2, p < 0,001).
Objective 2: Male majority (2/3), with average age of 47,5 ± 4,5. Rate of symptomic recurrence CMV infection in the first 6 months, 6 - 12 months, 1 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years after transplant were 45,4%, 9,1%, 27,3% and 18,2% respectively. Common clinical manifestations are fever 59,1%, respiratory, renal and gastrointestinal manifestations 31,8%, 27,3% and 13,6%, respectively. Two cases of CMV retinitis with typical fundus lesions were treated with intraocular Ganciclovir, however, vision was not fully recovered. Lymphopenia <1.000 cells/mm3 was observed in most cases of CMV disease after kidney transplantation. Quantitative PCR of CMV DNA in plasma ranged from 375 – 6.533.850 copies/mL. 6 of 22 cases of PCR CMV DNA in plasma >4.000 copies/mL, of which 5 severe cases developed rapidlly progressive respiratory failure and 2 deaths.

Conclusion: Recurrent CMV infection has a high rate in adult patients after kidney transplantation, so it is necessary to take initiactive for screening, monitoring and treating early to reduce mortality and protect the transplanted kidney. The appropriate dose of immunosuppressants plays an important role in the prevention of recurrent CMV infection and the successful treatment of disease due to it.

Key words: Cytomegalovirus, Kidney transplantation, Post-transplant infection.

* Deparment of Tropical diseases– Cho Ray Hospital
** Nephrology Surgery – Cho Ray Hospital
Coresponding author: Tho A. N. Vo, Deparment of Tropical diseases– Cho Ray Hospital.
Email: anhthobsy@gmail.com. Mobile: 0983888841.