The association of mycophenolate mofetil and human herpes virus infection

Abstract

Purpose: Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is a steroid-sparing immunosuppressant used extensively to treat both common and rare dermatological conditions. Its lymphocyte specificity makes it a favorable therapeutic option particularly for patients who cannot tolerate alternative immunosuppressants. However, the side effect profile of MMF has not been extensively evaluated. This review presents current evidence regarding increased risk of human herpesvirus infection (HHV) with MMF therapy.

Methods: The electronic database Medline (OVID) was searched on January 2018 for relevant English-language articles regarding the evaluation of incidence/prevalence of HHV infection in patients taking MMF, identifying 24 studies.

Results: The majority of available studies were conducted on solid organ transplant recipients receiving complex immunosuppressive treatment including the MMF. Cytomegalovirus is the most well studied of the HHV. A positive association with cytomegaloviruses was found with MMF when compared to alternative immunosuppressants and studies to date suggest dose-dependent effect.

Conclusion: MMF is a commonly used steroid-sparing agent used to treat dermatological conditions. This review highlights that MMF is positively associated with cytomegalovirus infection. The presented studies were heterogeneous in study design and detection method, with the majority completed on renal transplant patients. Further studies are needed to shed light on the association of MMF with HHV.

Keywords:

• Mycophenolate mofetil
• human herpesviruses
• immunosuppression
• opportunistic infection

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.