title: Distinguishing baboon cytomegalovirus from human cytomegalovirus: importance for xenotransplantation.
abstract: The severe shortage of human organs for transplantation is the driving force behind xenotransplant research. Nonhuman primates, particularly baboons, are potential sources of organs and tissues. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common donor-associated infection after allotransplantation. Baboon cytomegalovirus (BCMV) is endemic in baboon populations and therefore is a potential cause of donor-associated disease after xenotransplantation. Accordingly, the ability for BCMV to grow in human cells was determined and a sensitive method to distinguish BCMV from HCMV was developed. Human fibroblasts were permissive for BCMV, isolates exhibited cytopathology characteristic of HCMV, and herpesvirus-like virions were observed by electron microscopy. BCMV and HCMV could be distinguished by restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns and by polymerase chain reaction with primers targeting the BCMV major immediate-early gene promoter. These methods can be used to evaluate BCMV pathogenicity in laboratory and clinical xenotransplant trials.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Michaels
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Alcendor
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: St George
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Rinaldo
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Becich
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Hayward
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D017781:Genes, Immediate-Early; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral