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Toxoplasmosis disease in paediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: do not forget it still exists

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 52, pages 1326–1329 (2017)Cite this article

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Toxoplasmosis is a rare but severe complication after allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) that, in the vast majority of cases, develops as a reactivation of a latent infection;1, 2 however primary infection is also possible.2, 3, 4 Patients who were toxoplasmosis seropositive before transplantation are at higher risk when the donor is seronegative.1, 4, 5

Toxoplasmosis disease is associated with high morbidity and mortality rate in ~60–90% when the onset is early after transplantation.4, 5, 6 In most cases, patients develop localised central nervous system infection, but disseminated disease is also possible.1, 5, 7

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Acknowledgements

This work has been funded by a research grant of our Institution (IRCCS Policlinic San Matteo Foundation). We thank the ESGCP (ESCMID Study Group for Clinical Parasitology) for supporting this study. We thank Sam Goblirsch Md for reviewing and editing the paper.

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Author notes

  1. N Decembrino and A Comelli: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy

    N Decembrino, A Comelli, A Vitullo, S Recupero & M Zecca

  2. Department of Diagnostic Medicine, Parasitology Microbiology and Virology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy

    F Genco & V Meroni

  3. Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Therapy, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    V Meroni

Authors
  1. N Decembrino
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  2. A Comelli
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  4. A Vitullo
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  5. S Recupero
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  6. M Zecca
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Correspondence to N Decembrino or V Meroni.

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Decembrino, N., Comelli, A., Genco, F. et al. Toxoplasmosis disease in paediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: do not forget it still exists. Bone Marrow Transplant 52, 1326–1329 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2017.117

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