title: Ultrastructural analysis of circulating cytomegalic cells in patients with active cytomegalovirus infection: evidence for virus production and endothelial origin.
abstract: The presence of cytomegalic inclusion cells in the peripheral blood of patients with an active cytomegalovirus infection has recently been demonstrated. Immunologic staining showed that these cells were of endothelial origin. Study of circulating cytomegalic cells by transmission electron microscopy showed the cells to be productively infected with cytomegalovirus. Viral capsids were present in the nucleus and virus particles and dense bodies were found in the cytoplasm. The results indicate that these circulating cytomegalic cells could disseminate cytomegalovirus throughout the body. In addition, the finding of a cluster of cytomegalic cells in the peripheral blood linked together by zonula adherens type cell junctions is further evidence that these cells are of endothelial origin and suggests that the endothelial damage may be extensive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, University of Groningen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grefte
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Blom
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Giessen
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van Son
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: The
mesh_terms: D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000382:microbiology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000254:growth & development*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000382:microbiology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014779:Virus Replication