Endoscopic diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection of upper gastrointestinal tract in solid organ transplant recipients: Hungarian single-center experience.
BACKGROUND
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is considered to be the major cause of upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in organ transplant recipients. In the diagnosis of GI CMV infection the detection of the virus in the mucosa is essential. The aim of the study was to evaluate the significance of CMV, detected in biopsy specimens from stomach and duodenum of solid organ transplant recipients.


METHODS
Data of 227 elective upper endoscopies on symptomatic organ transplant recipients were evaluated for clinical symptoms, endoscopic changes and conventional histologic alterations of mucosal biopsy samples. Qualitative PCR was performed for detection of the presence of CMV-DNA in each biopsy materials.


RESULTS
CMV-DNA was detected in biopsy samples of 91 patients (40.1%) while only in 20 cases (8.8%) the signs of CMV infections were found by conventional histology (p < 0.00001). No considerable differences could be observed in symptomatic, histologic alterations between CMV-PCR positive and negative groups. There were no endoscopic changes in 25.3% of CMV-PCR positive and 5.1% of negative patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Qualitative PCR is an accurate method for the detection of CMV in the mucosa of the GI tract. Further investigations are needed for determination of the exact pathological role of detected CMV.
Péter
Antal
A
Transplantation and Surgical Clinic, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. antalpeter@freemail.hu
Telkes
Gábor
G
Varga
Marina
M
Sárváry
Eniko
E
Kovalszky
Ilona
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004378:Duodenal Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000821:virology; D004382:Duodenitis / Q000821:virology; D004384:Duodenoscopy; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000821:virology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000821:virology; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016377:Organ Transplantation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000821:virology
D004279:DNA, Viral