title: Treatment of cytomegalovirus infections beyond acute disease to improve human health.
abstract: Human cytomegalovirus is a common virus that establishes latency and persistence after a primary infection in 50-90% of populations worldwide. In otherwise healthy persons, the infection is generally mild or asymptomatic, although it may cause mononucleosis, prolonged episodes of fever, and hepatitis. However, in AIDS patients and transplant recipients who are immunosuppressed, severe, life-threatening infections may develop. CMV is also the most common congenital infection and may cause birth defects and deafness. Emerging evidence shows a high prevalence of this virus in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases or tumours of different origin, such as breast, colon, and prostate cancer, neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, and glioblastoma. Several drugs are available to treat CMV infections. This review will highlight the possibility of using anti-CMV therapy to improve outcome not only in patients with acute CMV infections but also in patients with inflammatory diseases and cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institute, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Söderberg-Nauclér
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D000208:Acute Disease; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral