b-Herpesvirus (Human Cytomegalovirus and Human Herpesvirus 6) Reactivation in At-Risk Lung Transplant Recipients and in Human Immunodeficiency Virus–Infected Patients

Human herpesvirus (HHV)–6 is a b-herpesvirus–like human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) with the potential to reactivate in immunocompromised persons. HHV-6 and HCMV were assessed in the peripheral blood leukocytes of 26 lung transplant recipients and of 37 human immu-nodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy, to determine the degree of concordance between HHV-6 and HCMV reactivation in different biologic settings. In the lung transplant recipients (145 samples), HHV-6 was not detected, even though 44 (30%) of 145 samples were from 9 HCMV DNA–positive patients (13 episodes of HCMV pneumonitis). Among the HIV-infected patients (172 samples), HCMV DNA was detected in 29 (17%) of 172 samples from 10 patients (4 episodes of HCMV disease). HHV-6 DNA was detected in 2 HIV-infected patients who did not have HCMV detected at that time. These findings suggest that the pathobiologic control mechanisms for these 2 b-herpes-viruses may be significantly different. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and human herpesvirus (HHV)–6 are related herpesviruses that can establish latent in-fections and may reactivate in immunosuppressed persons, suc