title: Cytomegalovirus infection in patients with active inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The reported prevalence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection with active inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is highly variable, and whether CMV negatively impacts the clinical course is controversial.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CMV in patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD) and compare the course of disease in patients with and without CMV.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients with acute exacerbations of active IBD colitis had immunohistochemistry staining for CMV antigen performed on archived specimens. Clinical features were retrospectively reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve (10%) of 122 UC patients had CMV, and 0/20 patients with CD had CMV. Of 12 UC patients with CMV infection, seven were not taking steroids or immunosuppressives at their index flare. UC patients with CMV were more likely to have leukocytosis (OR = 5.3, 95% CI 1.5-18.2), require hospitalization (OR = 4.9, 95% CI 1.2-19.0), and be hospitalized > or =7 days (OR = 5.0, 95% CI 1.6-21.3) compared to patients without CMV. Of 12 UC patients with CMV, ten (83%) were treated for their index flare with steroids or 6-mercaptopurine. Only one patient (8%) was treated for CMV infection which occurred 14 months after index endoscopy. Over the 6 months after the index flare, UC patients with CMV had a higher frequency of IBD-related hospitalizations compared to patients without CMV (50 vs. 24%, P = 0.021), but none required surgery or died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of CMV with active UC was 10%. Although CMV infection may be a marker of disease severity, our results suggest it does not cause severe morbidity or mortality in a general population of patients with a UC flare.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Klipfel
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Debose
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: Loren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral