Paya CV, Wilson JA, Espy MJ, Sia IG, DeBernardi MJ, Smith TF, Patel R, Jenkins G, Harmsen WS, Vanness DJ, Wiesner RH. J Infect Dis 2002;185:854–860

BACKGROUND: The use of postdetection antiviral treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) as a strategy to prevent infection and disease in solid-organ transplant patients has not been evaluated by placebo-controlled trials. We carried out such a study in 69 patients who had received liver transplants and had positive results of CMV polymerase chain reaction within 8 weeks after transplantation but did not have concomitant CMV infection or disease. These patients were randomly assigned to receive placebo or oral ganciclovir for 8 weeks. CMV infection developed in 21% and disease developed in 12% of placebo recipients (P=0.022), compared with 3% and 0%, respectively, among ganciclovir recipients (P=0.003). Similarly, in the placebo arm, 55% and 36% of CMV-negative patients who received organs from CMV-positive donors developed CMV infection or disease, respectively (P=0.02), compared with 11% and 0% of such patients in the ganciclovir arm (P<0.01). Oral ganciclovir administered on CMV detection by PCR prevents CMV infection or disease after liver transplantation.