title: Detection of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) DNA in skin using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
abstract: We used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and primers for the immediate early gene of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) to detect MCMV DNA in skin harvested from mice during acute infection. MCMV DNA was also detected in DNA extracted from spleen and salivary gland of MCMV-infected mice, but not in the skin, salivary gland, or spleen of uninfected, seronegative mice. Detection of MCMV DNA in skin provides direct evidence that skin can serve as a vehicle for transmission of MCMV. This observation is relevant to humans, such as burn patients, who receive skin allografts that may be infected with cytomegalovirus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Abecassis
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: O'Neil
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bale
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000235:genetics*; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018146:Muromegalovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000382:microbiology; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; C044582:immediate-early proteins, cytomegalovirus