The human eye (retina): a site of persistent HCMV infection?
BACKGROUND
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) retinitis frequently occurs in severely naturally and iatrogenically immunocompromised patients. It has been shown that the immune-privileged retina is a major site of HCMV infection in AIDS patients. It is conceivable either that during the immunosuppression HCMV infection reactivates in various other organs viremically affecting the retina or that HCMV persisting in the retina may locally reactivate and result in HCMV retinitis.


METHODS
As there is still controversy about the sites of HCMV latency and persistence we investigated 75 eyes of HIV-seronegative patients undergoing enucleation due to a variety of malignant and non-viral benign ophthalmic disorders for the retinal presence of HCMV antigen and DNA.


RESULTS
None of the analyzed patients had symptoms of HCMV retinitis. Immunohistologic staining as well as Taq Man DNA PCR analysis showed all samples to be free of HCMV.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that the human eye is rather unlikely to be a site of productive or latent HCMV persistence.
Vogel
Jens-Uwe
JU
Institute of Medical Virology, Center of Hygiene, University Hospital, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Paul-Ehrlich Strasse 40, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. ju.vogel@kinderkrebsstiftung-frankfurt.de
Fleckenstein
Corinna
C
Wagner
Mathias
M
Gümbel
Hermann O C
HO
Theegarten
Dirk
D
Cinatl
Jindrich
J
Doerr
Hans Wilhelm
HW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D017726:Cytomegalovirus Retinitis / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D005260:Female; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012160:Retina / Q000821:virology*; D014775:Virus Activation; D017735:Virus Latency / Q000502:physiology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; C044582:immediate-early proteins, cytomegalovirus