Influenza viral RNA detection in blood as a marker to predict disease severity in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients

[tetano]

J Infect Dis. 2012 Oct 2. [Epub ahead of print]
Influenza viral RNA detection in blood as a marker to predict disease severity in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients.
Choi SM, Xie H, Campbell AP, Kuypers J, Leisenring W, Boudreault AA, Englund JA, Corey L, Boeckh M.
Source

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA.
Abstract

Influenza RNA in blood (viremia) was detected in 9 of 79 (11.4%) hematopoietic cell transplant recipients with influenza and was less frequently observed in patients with upper respiratory tract disease only and more frequently in patients infected with 2009 pandemic influenza A/H1N1 strain (versus seasonal strains). Viremia increased the risk of progression to lower respiratory tract disease (LRD), hypoxemia, respiratory failure, and overall and influenza-related death. Among patients with LRD, viremia was associated with decreased hazards of overall and influenza-associated death (hazard ratio 3.5, 1.1-12). Thus, influenza viremia may serve as marker for overall poor outcome.

PMID:
23033148
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23033148