title: [Recent knowledge on the linkage of strain specific genotypes with clinical manifestations of human citomegalovirus disease].
abstract: Human citomegalovirus (CMV) is a beta-herpesvirus able to establish lifelong persistent infections which usually remain asymptomatic. However, severe diseases may develop in immunocompromised subjects (e.g., AIDS patients and transplant recipients) and if acquired in utero. Circulating CMV clinical strains display genetic polymorphisms in multiple genes, which may be implicated in CMV-induced immunopathogenesis, as well as strain-specific tissue-tropism, viral spread in the host cells and virulence, finally determining the wide spectrum of clinical manifestations of CMV disease. Current literature report a number of studies regarding the main CMV polymorphic genes (UL55-gB, UL144, UL73-gN, UL74-gO), their diagnostic and therapeutic impact, their potential clinical relevance as prognostic markers. This paper aims to critically analyse the results of these studies and evaluate the linkage of strain-specific genotypes with clinical manifestations of CMV disease and their perspective implications.
authors.affiliation: Sezione di Microbiologia, Dipartimento di Ematologia e Scienze Oncologiche L. e A. Seragnoli, Ospedale Sant'Orsola Malpighi, Bologna. sara.pignatelli@unibo.it
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pignatelli
mesh_terms: D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic