(Val)Ganciclovir TDM in Transplant Recipients

Patients undergoing solid organ or stem cell transplantation are at risk of developing cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection or reactivation. The risk of CMV infection / reactivation and its severity depends on the CMV serostatus of donor and recipient. Valganciclovir (oral pro-drug of ganciclovir) prophylaxis is used to postpone CMV infection or reactivation to a later point in the post-transplantation.

CMV infection/reactivation does not always lead to clinical disease. Valganciclovir (oral) can be used when CMV DNA is detected in the blood, but patient has no or few complaints. However, in case of severe symptoms such as colitis, nephritis, hepatitis, pneumonitis, uveitis or encephalitis (active CMV disease) then ganciclovir is indicated intravenously. In clinical recovery treatment is often completed with valganciclovir.

It is important that the ganciclovir level is adequate, because too high level can lead to side effects such as cytopenia and a too low level can lead to treatment failure and resistance development. There are different dosing schedules mentioned in different sources. These schemes are based on dated literature.

The aim of (val)ganciclovir therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is to gain more insight into the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of ganciclovir, in the context of prophylaxis and treatment of CMV infections, in order to provide the patient with an adequate dose.