Kidney transplant may be a life-guard, but new research suggests that some recipients may face high risk of developing a rare and aggressive cancer Post-transplant is known as lymphoprolynterable disorder (PTLD). It is associated with the situation Epstein-Bar virus (EBV), which is known for the cause of mononucleosis, but is also associated with many types of cancer.

A recent study published in The Annals of Internal Medicine analyzed data from two large American transplant centers and found that Kidney transplant Patients who had never come in contact with EBV were at significant risk if they had found an organ from a donor who had previously taken the virus.

In the link between EBV and PTLDMore, 90 percent of adults in the US have EBV infection at some point in their lives. However, when a kidney transplant patient who has never come in contact with the virus receives an organ from the EBV positive donor, their immune system can struggle to fight the virus. This increases their risk of developing PTLD.

The study found that 22 percent of these high -risk kidney transplant recipients developed PTLD within three years of transplantation. About one-third of those who developed PTLD died during the study period.

Kidney transplant patients are at risk. Transplant patients should take immunospressive medicines to prevent their body from rejecting the new organ. While these drugs are essential for a successful transplantation, they also weaken the immune system, causing patients to become more vulnerable to infections such as EBV and increase the risk of development of PTLD.

The study suggests that up to 5 percent of adult kidney transplant, about 1,200 people per year – may be at risk for PTLD. This number is five to ten times higher than previous estimates based on national registry data.

One of the study authors, Dr. Vishnu Potluri said that the current national registry data cannot reveal the exact number of PTLD cases due to incomplete reporting. So far, PTLD research has focused on most children, which are less likely to be exposed to EBV.

Another study writer Dr. Chethan Putrazappa, explains the urgency of these findings. “Given the important threat to the survival presented by PTLD, we need more research to improve the safety of the recipients of kidney transplantation,” he said. Now experts suggest that monitoring for EBV should become a regular part of post-transplant care.

What can be done?

Director of transplant infectious diseases in Penn Medicine, Dr. Emily Blumbberg says that initial and regular screening is important for EBV. Doctors should consider adjusting immunospressive treatments for high -risk patients to reduce the chances of development of PTLD.

Currently, EBV screening rates vary in transplant centers in the US, and do not regularly test for EBV after many kidney transplantation. If a patient develops PTLD, doctors usually reduce immunospressive drugs as the first step in low treatment.

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