OBJECTIVETo analyze the prevalence of Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) in patients following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics of 720 patients received allo-HSCT from January 2010 through December 2011 in the Stem Cell Transplant Center of People's Hospital.

RESULTSOf 720 patients (469 male presented and 251 females), with a median age of 30 years (range, 2 to 67 years) old, 66 patients were presented with EBV reactivation. The cumulative incidence of EBV reactivation was (9.3±1.1)%, with a median days of 54.5 (range, 18 to 253 days). During one- year post-transplantation, the cumulative incidences of EBV reactivation in sibling allo-HSCT, haploidentical HSCT and unrelated donor HSCT were (1.3±0.7)%, (13.7±1.7)%, and (9.1±4.4)%, respectively. In patients with haplo-identical HSCT, the cumulative incidences of EBV viremia, probable EBV disease, and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) were (5.8±1.1)%, (5.7±1.1)%, and (2.3±0.7)%. The mortality was (33.9±5.9)% in all patients with EBV infection: (63.6±15.8)% in PTLD, (42.3±9.9)% in probable EBV disease, (13.8±6.5)% in EBV viremia. By univariate and multivariate analysis, the use of ATG was an independent risk factor for EBV infection.

CONCLUSIONEBV reactivation is a common complication in patients with allo- HSCT, especially high mortality in PTLD and probable EBV disease. The use of ATG was an independent risk factor for EBV infection.