Herpesvirus active infection in patients with systemic lupus

Author(s)

Murilo de Freitas Peigo

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Ciências Médicas
• Defense date: 2012-08-27

Examining board members

Sandra Cecília Botelho Costa; Maurício Lacerda Nogueira; André Fattori

• Advisor: Sandra Cecília Botelho Costa

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a connective tissue systemic pathology that presents itself in several ways, depending on the organ affected, the seriousness of the disease and patient¿s age, being influenced by racial factors, immunologic and environmental patterns. SLE patients have great predisposition to develop infections due to the immunosuppression induced by the disease itself and by the use of medicine in the treatment. Infections caused by herpesvirus, especially Human Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr (EBV), have been developed into several serious autoimmune diseases, including SLE. Herpesvirus 6 and 7 (HHV-6 and HHV-7) reactivation generally occurs in immunodepressed patients, but their roles are unclear. Herpesvirus infections have influence both on the beginning of the autoimmune process and on the aggravation of the disease progression. The patients that present high risks of developing herpesvirus related diseases can be identified using active infection detection techniques, such as the Nested polymerase chain reaction (Nested-PCR) and the CMV pp65 antigen detection (antigenemia). Depending on the case, the patients can receive treatment with antivirals. Face to the exposed, the objectives of this study were: to monitor the patients with SLE with regard to active infection by CMV using Nested-PCR and antigenemia techniques, and EBV, HHV-6, HHV-7 in serum, as well as to evaluate the clinic impact to these infections. There were included in this work blood samples of 71 patients that are being treated at the Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medical Sciences ¿ University of Campinas - UNICAMP, with a confirmed SLE diagnosis, given that 20/71 (28%) had active lupus (SLEDAI ? 8) and 51/71 (72%) of the patients didn¿t present lupic activity (SLEDAI < 8). Considering the blood samples researched, 10/71 (14%) were positive for the studied herpesvirus, and 90% of the patients with active infection presented lupus in activity (p ? 0,006). Active infection by CMV was observed in 4 patients (5,6%). HHV-7 was detected in 4 samples (5,6%). Two other patients presented double infection by CMV and HHV-7 (2,8%). Active infection by EBV and HHV-6 was not detected in any of the analyzed samples. Two patients have deceased, whose conditions developed into pulmonary sepsis (probable disease by CMV) and into Psedomonas aeruginosa sepsis, respectively. After analyzing the achieved results, we observe that active infection can appear in patients with SLE, especially in those with the disease in activity. Few studies have evaluated the impact of these infections on the daily care of patients with SLE. In this sense, we believe that this work is pioneer and that it will be of fundamental importance, contributing to this group of patients. However, future studies should be implemented, with a larger number of patients and samples, especially those with SLE in activity, which are the ones with increased risk factor as shown (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/13165-2 - Herpesvirus active infection in systemic lupus Eryhtematosus
• Grantee: Murilo de Freitas Peigo
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master