LACTIC ACIDOSIS AFTER ALLOGENEIC HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION
AND POSSIBLE INFLUENCE OF ANTIVIRAL DRUGS
Abstract
A 53-year-old woman with a history of acute myeloid leukemia received a
second allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and was
prescribed, among other medications, acyclovir and letermovir (480 mg
daily oral dose) for prophylaxis of respectively herpes simplex and
cytomegalovirus infection. The patient was admitted in the intensive
care unit (ICU) for dyspnea and oliguria. Laboratory investigations
revealed acute kidney injury, but also a severe and progressive lactic
acidosis. Liver function tests were within normal range. The combination
of lactic acidosis, hypoglycaemia and acylcarnitine profile in plasma
suspected a mitochondrial toxicity. Letermovir therapy was interrupted
and determination of plasma letermovir pharmacokinetics revealed a
prolonged terminal half-life (40.7 h) that was not significantly
influenced by continuous venovenous hemofiltration. Exploration for
genetic polymorphisms revealed that the patient was SLCO1B1*5/*15
(c.521T>C homozygous carrier and c.388A>G
heterozygous carrier) with a predicted non-functional OATP1B1 protein.
The relationship between letermovir accumulation and development of
lactic acidosis requires further observations.