Opportunistic Viral Infections Flashcards
What are endogenous viral infections?
Latent viruses that reactivate in absence of immune system.
Acquired in past prior to immune suppression e.g. Varicella Zoster.
What are exogenous viral infections?
Viruses acquired from environment.
Increased severity in immunosuppressed e.g. Influenza, SARS-CoV-2.
What is indirect detection of a virus?
Response of the immune system to the virus.
These tests are useful to see if you have ever had the infection.
What is direct detection of a virus?
Fragments of the actual virus.
- Viral proteins (lateral flow/antigen tests).
- Viral genetic material (the virus genetic material present with patient sample.
Polymerase chain reaction.
These tests are useful to see if you have the infection now.
How is serology used to determine infection with a virus?
Measure levels of antibody in patients serum.
- +++ IgM indicate Active or Resolving infection
- +++ IgG indicates past infection > 6 weeks ago
Antibody levels ↓↓↓ reduced in Immunosuppressed.
Serological course may differ depending upon virus.
What does this mean?
Surface antibody declines in the future, core antibody remains high for Hep B.
Surface antibody indicates previous vaccination, core antibody is previous infection with the real thing.
If the immune system is compromised, what happens to serology?
Serology is useless.
Which antibodies are screened in serological screening?
- HIV Ag/Ab
- HBV surface antigen
- HBV core antibody
- HBV surface antibody
- HCV antibody
- EBV antibody
- CMV antibody
- HSV antibody
- VZV antibody
- HTLV antibody
What is monitored/prophylactically treated during immunosuppression?
- CMV monitoring PCR or prophylaxis
- EBV monitoring PCR
- BK monitoring PCR (Renal & BMT)
- Adenovirus monitoring PCR (Paediatric BMT)
- HSV prophylaxis if indicated
A 51-year-old with a recent HSCT is unwell. Which is the most appropriate test? ALT = 800 IU/mL
A. EBV IgG/IgM
B. HBV sAb
C. Parvovirus PCR
D. HEV PCR
E. CMV IgG/IgM
D. HEV PCR
What increases the risk of opportunistic infections, from highest to lowest?
Allogeneic stem cell transplant
Advanced HIV infection (CD4 dep)
Solid organ transplant
Various monoclonal antibody therapies
Cytotoxic chemotherapy
DMARDs and steroids
What are sources of viral infection from transplants?
Viruses acquired from graft: HBV
Viral reactivation from the host: HSV
Novel infection from infected individual: VZV
Which type of immunosuppression carries the greatest relative risk of developing a viral infection?
A. Steroids
B. Solid organ transplant
C. Allogeneic stem cell transplant
D. Monoclonal antibody therapies
E. Cytotoxic chemotherapy
C. Allogeneic stem cell transplant
What is screened for in symptomatic screening in the CSF?
- HSV
- VZV
- Enterovirus
- EBV
- CMV
- Adenovirus
- HHV6
- JC virus
What is screened for in symptomatic screening in the blood?
- CMV
- EBV
- Adeno
- HHV6
- Parvo