title: Natural history of cytomegalovirus infection in a series of patients diagnosed with moderate-severe ulcerative colitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the natural history of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in a series of 28 ulcerative colitis patients in whom the search for HCMV was positive.
  
  
  METHODS
  A series of 85 patients with moderate-severe ulcerative colitis flare-up were evaluated for a HCMV search by performing a haematoxylin and eosin stain, immunohistochemical assay and nested polymerase chain reaction on rectal biopsies. Among 85 screened patients (19 of whom were steroid resistant/dependent), 28 were positive for HCMV; after remission the patients were followed up clinically and histologically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 22 patients with complete follow-up, in 8 (36%) patients HCMV-DNA persisted in the intestinal specimens. Among the HCMV positive patients, 4 (50%) experienced at least one moderate-severe flare-up of colitis without evidence of peripheral HCMV. Among the 14 HCMV negative patients, 3 with pouches developed pouchitis and 5 out of 11 (45%) experienced a colitis flare-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our preliminary results suggest that HCMV may remain in the colon after an acute colitis flare-up despite remission; it seems that the virus is not responsible for the disease relapse.
authors.affiliation: Dibimis, Biomedical Department of Internal and Specialist Medicine, V.Cervello Hospital Palermo, University of Palermo, Palermo 90143, Italy. vale.cic@libero.it
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Criscuoli
authors.forename: Maria Rosa
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Rizzuto
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Montalbano
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cottone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral