Session information—September 11, 2025

Topic

HHV-6 reactivation and disease in stem cell transplantation.

Date and time

September 11, 2025, at 16:00 (CEST).

Session description

This session’s topic will be HHV-6 reactivation and disease in allogeneic SCT recipients.

There will be particular focus on risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment of this infectious complication.

Speakers

Dr Katia Perruccio, Azienda Ospedaliera di Perugia, Italy

Dr Katia Perruccio has been a medical doctor since 1996. She has specialized in both hematology and oncology.

Dr Perruccio received a PhD in 2005 in bone marrow transplantation and, as a post-doctoral fellow, explored her interest in immune reconstitution after allogeneic stem cell transplantation and adoptive immunotherapy.

In 2012, she began her experience in pediatric oncology hematology and was involved in infectious complications. In particular, she observed a high incidence of HHV-6 reactivation and disease in pediatric patients receiving haploidentical transplants. For this reason, she analyzed EBMT data of a retrospective study on HHV-6 encephalitis in recipients of allogeneic SCT (BMT 2025). She identified risk factors and performed a prospective study in the aploidentical setting, both adult and pediatric.

The study’s conclusion was that HHV-6 reactivation and disease are quite common complications after SCT, with high morbidity and mortality. Even if not strictly recommended, monitoring of HHV-6 DNAmia in blood and body fluids is a common and suggested practice in patients receiving allogeneic SCT. It allows for the start of pre-emptive treatment, reducing mortality.