Human cytomegalovirus genome sequences in lymph nodes.
Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major cause of morbidity in heart and lung transplant patients, resulting from immunosuppression-mediated reactivation of latent CMV originating either from the transplanted tissue, or the recipient. We showed that out of eight donor/recipient pairs, the lymph nodes (LNs) of three donors and four recipients, all CMV seropositive, harboured CMV DNA at exceeding levels compared with those of matched blood samples, as well as CMV RNA otherwise undetectable in patients' blood. On follow-up, patients positive for CMV DNA and RNA in LNs developed viraemia 4 to 5 weeks earlier than those initially polymerase chain reaction-negative for CMV. Our results indicate that LN are a significant site for sequestration and persistence of CMV and that LN may be important in seeding of CMV-infected cells into the circulation.
Boriskin
Y S
YS
Department of Medical Microbiology, St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 ORE, UK.
Moore
P
P
Murday
A J
AJ
Booth
J C
JC
Butcher
P D
PD
D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D016679:Genome, Viral; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D016040:Lung Transplantation; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014766:Viremia
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral