Fatal HHV-6 associated encephalitis in an HIV-1 infected patient treated with cidofovir

Approach to Neurologic Complications in the Immunocompromised Patient

Neurologic complications are common in immunocompromised patients, including those with advanced human immunodeficiency virus, transplant recipients, and patients on immunomodulatory medications. In addition to the standard differential diagnosis, specific pathogens and other conditions unique to the immunocompromised state should be considered in the evaluation of neurologic complaints in this patient population. A thorough understanding of these considerations is critical to the inpatient neurologist in contemporary practice, as increasing numbers of patients are exposed to immunomodulatory therapies. In this review, we provide a chief complaint-based approach to the clinical presentations and diagnosis of both infectious and noninfectious complications particular to immunocompromised patients.

Roseolovirus-associated encephalitis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals

The roseoloviruses, human herpesvirus (HHV)-6A, HHV-6B, and HHV-7, can cause severe encephalitis or encephalopathy. In immunocompetent children, primary HHV-6B infection is occasionally accompanied by diverse clinical forms of encephalitis. Roseolovirus coinfections with heterologous viruses and delayed primary HHV-7 infection in immunocompetent adults result in very severe neurological and generalized symptoms. Recovery from neurological sequelae is slow and sometimes incomplete. In immunocompromised patients with underlying hematological malignancies and transplantation, frequent single or simultaneous reactivation of roseoloviruses elicit severe, lethal organ dysfunctions, including damages in the limbic system, brain stem, and hippocampus. Most cases have been due to HHV-6B with HHV-6A accounting for 2-3%. The most severe manifestation of HHV-6B reactivation is post-transplantation limbic encephalitis. Seizures, cognitive problems, and abnormal EEG are common. Major risk factors for HHV-6B-associated encephalitis include unrelated cord blood cell transplantation and repeated hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Rare genetic disorders, male gender, certain HLA constellation, and immune tolerance to replicating HHV-6 in persons carrying chromosomally integrated HHV-6 might also predispose an individual to roseolovirus-associated brain damage. At this time, little is known about the risk factors for HHV-7-associated encephalitis. Intrathecal glial cell destruction due to virus replication, overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines, and viral mimicry of chemokines all contribute to brain dysfunction. High virus load in the cerebrospinal fluid, hippocampal astrogliosis, and viral protein expression in HHV-6B-associated cases and multiple microscopic neuronal degeneration in HHV-7-associated cases are typical laboratory findings. Early empirical therapy with ganciclovir or foscarnet might save the life of a patient with roseolovirus-associated encephalitis.

Primary HHV 6 infection after liver transplantation with acute graft rejection and multi-organ failure: successful treatment with a 2.5-fold dose of cidofovir and reduction of immunosuppression

HHV type 6 has been reported with enhanced pathogenicity in immunocompromised patients. Herein, we report about a two-yr-old girl who experienced primary HHV 6 infection after liver transplantation. She clinically presented with graft rejection and necrotic hepatitis as well as high fever, pneumonitis with respiratory failure and a rash. Therapy with cidofovir of 5 mg/kg per wk did not show improvement, so that a full pharmacokinetic profile of cidofovir was performed. It demonstrated enhanced body weight normalized clearance of cidofovir and cidofovir dosage was augmented to 12 mg/kg per wk to reach adequate drug exposure. With additional reduction of immunosuppression, the patient dramatically improved and liver function stabilized.

Human herpesvirus-6 infections and infection-preventative measures in transplant recipients

Like the other herpesviruses, human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 is capable of persisting in the host after primary infection and can reactivate under immunosuppressed conditions. In stem cell transplantation recipients, HHV-6 reactivation is observed in 40–50% of patients and is linked to various clinical manifestations, including rash, delayed platelet engraftment and encephalopathy. HHV-6 reactivation is also relatively common in solid organ transplantation recipients, and is associated with graft dysfunction and subsequent development of human cytomegalovirus disease. In particular, HHV-6 has been recognized as a life-threatening pathogen for the development of encephalopathy after stem cell transplantation. Ganciclovir, foscarnet and cidofovir are effective against HHV-6 in vitro. However, success rates are not high for patients who have developed encephalopathy. Plasma HHV-6 DNA-guided pre-emptive approaches have not been successful owing to the dynamic kinetics of HHV-6 reactivation. Establishment of optimal strategies is needed to prevent HHV-6-associated complications, in particular encephalopathy.

Different Mutations in the HHV-6 DNA Polymerase Gene Accounting for Resistance to Foscarnet

Background

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), which is closely related to human cytomegalovirus, is sensitive to foscarnet (PFA). Up to now, the resistance of HHV-6 to PFA has not been investigated.

Objectives

The goal of the study was to isolate and characterize PFA-resistant HHV-6 mutants in order to determine the mechanisms of resistance to the drug.

Methods

PFA-resistant viruses, isolated in MT4 cell culture under increasing concentrations of PFA, were characterized phenotypically and genotypically. The mutations identified in the HHV-6 DNA polymerase gene were evaluated in a functional assay using recombinant mutated forms of the enzyme, and their effect on protein structure was analysed in a three-dimensional model derived from available structures of DNA polymerases.

Results

Two mutants were selected and were 8- and 15-fold more resistant to PFA than the wild-type strain. Four amino acid changes were detected in the HHV-6 DNA polymerase in association with PFA resistance: T435R, H507Y, C525S, located in the δC conserved domain, and F292S. Either alone or in combination, these substitutions significantly decreased the inhibitory effect of PFA at the level of the polymerase, as measured by the incorporation of radiolabeled nucleotides in a DNA elongation assay. In the three-dimensional model of HHV-6 DNA polymerase structure the four changes were not located within the putative catalytic site, but they might induce either a disturbance of local conformation or a restricted access of PFA to its target site.

Conclusion

This first characterization of HHV-6 resistance to PFA highlights the role of distinct DNA polymerase gene mutations.

Cidofovir and foscarnet for treatment of human herpesvirus 6 encephalitis in a neutropenic stem cell transplant recipient

We report a stem cell transplant recipient who developed human herpesvirus 6 encephalitis. Human herpesvirus 6 load indicated massive intrathecal viral replication. Administration of cidofovir followed by foscarnet was associated with total clearance of human herpesvirus 6 infection. Cidofovir and foscarnet combination therapy may be beneficial for reducing mortality of (neutropenic) stem cell transplant recipients with human herpesvirus 6 encephalitis.