title: Effect of treatment of shell vial cell cultures with dimethyl sulfoxide and dexamethasone for detection of cytomegalovirus.
abstract: Urine specimens submitted for the diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection were inoculated into shell vials that had been pretreated with a combination of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and dexamethasone (DEX). The results were compared with those for inoculated shell vials which had received no drug treatment. Of 664 specimens, 100 (15%) were positive for cytomegalovirus. Of the 100 strains of cytomegalovirus, 88 (88%) were detected in both DMSO-DEX-treated and untreated shell vials. Of the remaining 12 positive specimens, 6 were detected with untreated shell vials exclusively and 6 were detected with DMSO-DEX-treated shell vials alone (not significant by the sign test). The median number of fluorescent foci was not significantly higher in DMSO-DEX-treated shell vials compared with that in untreated cultures (Wilcoxon signed-rank test; P = 0.1). DMSO-DEX-treated monolayers did not enhance the sensitivity detection of cytomegalovirus in shell vial cell cultures.
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Microbiology, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Espy
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Wold
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ilstrup
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide