Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Transplant. Jul 29, 2020; 10(7): 183-190
Published online Jul 29, 2020. doi: 10.5500/wjt.v10.i7.183
Cytomegalovirus infection after liver transplantation
Blanca C Lizaola-Mayo, Eduardo A Rodriguez
Blanca C Lizaola-Mayo, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ 85259, United States
Eduardo A Rodriguez, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, United States
Author contributions: Lizaola-Mayo BC and Rodriguez EA wrote the paper.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors declare no conflict of interests for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Eduardo A Rodriguez, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, University of Utah, 30 N 1900 E, Room 4R118, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, United States. eduardo.rodriguez@hsc.utah.edu
Received: March 24, 2020
Peer-review started: March 24, 2020
First decision: April 22, 2020
Revised: May 28, 2020
Accepted: July 1, 2020
Article in press: July 1, 2020
Published online: July 29, 2020
Processing time: 119 Days and 4 Hours
Abstract

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) represents the most common opportunistic infection in liver transplant recipients. CMV infections in post liver transplant patients cause significant morbidity and mortality, directly affecting post-transplant outcomes. This review will provide the framework for the surveillance, diagnosis, prophylaxis and treatment of CMV in the liver transplant population.

Keywords: Cytomegalovirus; Liver transplant; Immunosuppression; Serostatus

Core tip: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common infection in the liver transplant population directly affecting posttransplant outcomes through its direct and indirect effects. The donor and recipient’s CMV serostatus represent the most important factor to determine CMV posttransplant risk, and the need for prophylaxis. Herein, we discuss and summarize the most current CMV preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies in this vulnerable cohort of patients.