Prospective Evaluation of Epstein–Barr Virus Reactivation After Stem Cell Transplantation: Association with Monoclonal Gammopathy

Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV) reactivation and EBV-related post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) have emerged as a severe complication after stem cell transplantation (SCT). We prospectively evaluated 104 consecutive patients receiving SCT either autologous or allogeneic. Fifty-two patients (50%) presented EBV DNA-emia and five of them developed PTLD proven or probable. PTLD rate was 9.6% among patients with EBV DNA-emia. One patient developed PTLD without EBV DNA-emia (0.96%). Overall PTLD incidence was 5.7%. No PTLD developed after autologous SCT. EBV DNA-emia was significantly more frequent after allogeneic than autologous SCT (60.7% vs 17.4%, p = 0.0002). At EBV reactivation, serum protein electrophoresis and immunofixation were assessed. Global incidence of γ-peak after allogeneic SCT with EBV reactivation was 65.3% (32/49 patients) and monoclonal gammopathy (MG) was identified in 23/28 evaluable patients (82%). All patients with PTLD developed γ-peak and in five of them MG was identified. MG is consistently associated with EBV DNA-emia and may help identification of progression to PTLD after allogeneic SCT.