Viral Infections in Immunocompromised Patients

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 572

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, School of Medicine, Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-590, Brazil
Interests: viral infection; transplant recipients; cancer patients; autoimmune diseases; immunosuppressive therapy; hereditary immunodeficiencies; viral epidemiological surveillance; morbidity and mortality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Viral infections in immunocompromised patients represent a major clinical challenge due to impaired cellular and humoral immunity, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. High-risk populations include transplant recipients, chemotherapy patients, individuals with autoimmune diseases on immunosuppressive therapy, uncontrolled HIV patients, those with hereditary immunodeficiencies, premature newborns, and the elderly.

Key viral agents include Herpesviruses, such as CMV and EBV, and Polyomaviruses (BK and JC viruses), which can cause nephropathy, graft loss, or progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Respiratory viruses including Influenza, RSV, Parainfluenza, Rhinovirus, and SARS-CoV-2 may lead to severe pneumonia and prolonged viral shedding, facilitating nosocomial transmission and antiviral resistance. Enteroviruses and Adenoviruses also behave more aggressively in this population.

Prevention is essential and can be achieved through vaccination, pre-transplant serological screening, and antiviral prophylaxis when indicated. Early diagnosis, particularly using quantitative PCR, enables timely intervention and monitoring of therapy.

Effective management requires a multidisciplinary approach combining preventive strategies, rapid diagnosis, and early treatment. A comprehensive understanding of viral agents, patient-specific risk factors, and clinical characteristics is critical to minimize complications, preserve organ function, and improve survival outcomes.

For this Special Issue, we invite submissions of original research articles, short communications, and review articles focusing on viral infections in immunocompromised patients, with a particular interest in the following topics: innovations in prevention, immunomodulation, diagnostics, and antiviral treatment.

Dr. Maria Angelica Guimarães
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • viral infection
  • immunocompromised patients
  • molecular diagnosis
  • antiviral drug prophylaxis
  • vaccines
  • viral variants

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 477 KB  
Article
Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Cytomegalovirus DNAemia in Non-HIV-Infected and Non-Transplant Patients: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis
by Ixchel Salter, Michaele-Francesco Corbisiero, Daniel B. Chastain, Chia-Yu Chiu, Leland Shapiro, Jose G. Montoya, Raymund R. Razonable and Andrés F. Henao-Martínez
Pathogens 2026, 15(5), 492; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15050492 - 1 May 2026
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Abstract
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) establishes lifelong latency following primary infection and can reactivate to cause severe illness in immunocompromised hosts. CMV DNAemia in non-HIV-infected, non-solid organ/bone marrow transplant (NHNT) hosts is poorly characterized, with limited clinical insights. We aim to describe the clinical presentation, prognostic [...] Read more.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) establishes lifelong latency following primary infection and can reactivate to cause severe illness in immunocompromised hosts. CMV DNAemia in non-HIV-infected, non-solid organ/bone marrow transplant (NHNT) hosts is poorly characterized, with limited clinical insights. We aim to describe the clinical presentation, prognostic indicators, and outcomes of CMV DNAemia among NHNT patients. We used the TriNetX international patient database to identify adult patients diagnosed with CMV DNAemia from 2016 until March 2023. We evaluated hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) level care, and all-cause mortality at 30 days and 1 year. We also completed a post-propensity score analysis comparing clinical characteristics of survivors versus non-survivors at 90 days. We identified 1123 NHNT patients with CMV DNAemia, most of whom had neoplasms (63%). Venous thromboembolism occurred in 31% of the population. The 30-day hospitalization and all-cause mortality rates were 35% and 14%, respectively. After propensity score matching and Bonferroni correction, weakness, purpura, acute respiratory failure, malnutrition, encephalopathy, and hypotension were associated with increased 90-day all-cause mortality. NHNT patients with CMV DNAemia carry a substantial morbidity and all-cause mortality. Further studies are warranted to clarify whether CMV DNAemia is a causative factor or an incidental finding in this population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Viral Infections in Immunocompromised Patients)
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