Abstract :
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a highly seroprevalent
β-herpesvirus that, following primary infection,
establishes a lifelong latent infection in several sites
of the body and may reactivate in the presence of
immunosuppression, such as in transplant recipients.
In these patients, beside direct effects such as systemic
and organ infection/disease, CMV has been associated
to indirect effects, including increase in systemic
immunosuppression (i.e. effect favoring opportunistic
infections), increased risk of neoplasms (i.e. Epstein-Barr
virus-related posttransplantation lymphoproliferative
diseases) and the potential role in allograft rejection
