title: Human cytomegalovirus infection of the major leukocyte subpopulations and evidence for initial viral replication in polymorphonuclear leukocytes from viremic patients.
abstract: Fourteen immunocompromised patients were examined for viremia, pp65 and p72 antigenemia, and presence of viral DNA in leukocyte fractions of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL), monocytes/macrophages (M/M), and B and T lymphocytes after purification by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Nearly all PMNL and M/M fractions were positive for DNA and pp65 antigenemia, while p72 antigenemia was detected in 73% and 62%, respectively. The virus isolation rate was 45% from PMNL and 17% from M/M. T lymphocytes were positive for DNA in 50% of cases and for pp65 and p72 antigenemia in only 11%, while B lymphocytes were DNA-positive in 43% of samples and consistently negative for antigenemia; neither T nor B lymphocytes had virus isolated. Immediate-early (IE)1 RNA was present in 23 (85.2%) of 27 dextran-enriched DNA-positive p72-positive PMNL samples and, in sequential PMNL samples from two heart-transplanted patients, was detected during peak infection in association with p72. Thus, PMNL and M/M are the subpopulations primarily involved in HCMV infection; PMNL may undergo IE replicative events and are not merely passive carriers of phagocytized viral material.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Virologia dell'Istituto di Malattie Infettive, IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gerna
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zipeto
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Percivalle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parea
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Revello
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maccario
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Milanesi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000382:microbiology*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000097:blood; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000097:blood; D014766:Viremia / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; C065418:cytomegalovirus matrix protein 65kDa; C044582:immediate-early proteins, cytomegalovirus