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Valganciclovir thrice weekly for prophylaxis against cytomegalovirus reactivation during alemtuzumab therapy

Leukemia volume 23, pages 800–801 (2009)Cite this article

The monoclonal anti-CD52 antibody alemtuzumab is active against chronic lymphocytic leukemia and other low-grade B- and T-cell lymphoproliferative diseases. It is lymphoablative, making patients susceptible to opportunistic infections. Reactivation of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection occurs in 10–100% of cases, depending on the patient population, the frequency and the sensitivity of the virologic surveillance tests employed.1

Until lately, relatively ineffective drugs including acyclovir, valaciclovir or famciclovir have been used as CMV prophylaxis.2 Recently, it has been reported that valganciclovir at 450 mg twice daily prevented CMV reactivation.3

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References

  1. Cheung WW, Tse E, Leung AY, Yuen KY, Kwong YL . Regular virologic surveillance showed very frequent cytomegalovirus reactivation in patients treated with alemtuzumab. Am J Hematol 2007; 82: 108–111.

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Acknowledgements

YY Hwang treated the patients, analyzed the data, wrote and approved the paper. WWW Cheung treated the patients, analyzed the data and approved the paper. AYH Leung, E Tse and WY Au treated the patients and approved the paper. YL Kwong designed the study, treated the patients, wrote and approved the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China

    Y-Y Hwang, W W W Cheung, A Y H Leung, E Tse, W-Y Au & Y-L Kwong

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  1. Y-Y Hwang
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  2. W W W Cheung
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  3. A Y H Leung
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  4. E Tse
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  5. W-Y Au
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  6. Y-L Kwong
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Y-L Kwong.

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The authors have no conflict of interest to report.

Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Leukemia website (http://www.nature.com/leu)

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Hwang, YY., Cheung, W., Leung, A. et al. Valganciclovir thrice weekly for prophylaxis against cytomegalovirus reactivation during alemtuzumab therapy. Leukemia 23, 800–801 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2008.282

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