| [ Summary ] |
Immunosuppressive treatment after kidney transplantation easily leads to opportunistic infections, including those which are bacterial, fungal or viral. Close attention must be paid to prevent post transplant viral infection. Prevention of acute infectious diseases, due to cytomegalovirus and adenovirus, is critical in the early phases of post transplantation. Prevention of chronic infection, due to EB virus and BK virus, is important in the chronic phases of post transplantation. These viral infections often lead to declines in graft function but rarely develop to severe systemic infection or become triggers for malignant diseases. Since effective antiviral agents are very limited in number, reduction or discontinuation of immunosuppressive agents is often required in the treatment of post transplant viral infection. |