Laboratory signs of acute or recent cytomegalovirus infection are common in cirrhosis of the liver

• Published in: Journal of medical virology Vol. 62; no. 1; pp. 25 - 28
• Main Authors: Varani, Stefania, Lazzarotto, Tiziana, Margotti, Marzia, Masi, Livia, Gramantieri, Laura, Bolondi, Luigi, Landini, Maria Paola
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-09-2000; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adult; Aged; Alanine Transaminase - analysis; Antibodies, Monoclonal; antigenemia; Antigens, Viral - blood; Aspartate Aminotransferases - analysis; Bilirubin - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; cirrhosis; cytomegalovirus; Cytomegalovirus Infections - complications; Cytomegalovirus Infections - diagnosis; Cytomegalovirus Infections - immunology; DNA, Viral - blood; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; Human cytomegalovirus; Human viral diseases; Humans; IgM; Infectious diseases; Liver - enzymology; Liver Cirrhosis - complications; Liver Cirrhosis - virology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Polymerase Chain Reaction; quantitative polymerase chain reaction; Risk; Serologic Tests; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Infection; Virus; Human; Cirrhosis; Herpesviridae; Acute; Viral disease; Risk factor; Digestive diseases; Hepatic disease; Betaherpesvirinae; Human cytomegalovirus
• ISSN: 0146-6615; 1096-9071
• DOI: 10.1002/1096-9071(200009)62:1<25::AID-JMV4>3.0.CO;2-E

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an ubiquitous pathogen that can cause severe and often fatal infections in immunocompromised patients. Patients with cirrhosis often show various degrees of impaired cellular immunity that could lead to acute CMV reactivation. The aim of the present study was to determine whether laboratory findings of active CMV infections are common in patients with cirrhosis. Fifty‐five patients with cirrhosis were studied for acute CMV infection by virological (antigenemia and quantitative polymerase chain reaction in polymorphonuclear leukocytes) and serological (detection of anti‐CMV IgM by immunoblot) methods. The same tests were carried out on 50 blood donors and on 20 chronic hepatitis patients, considered as control populations. Acute or recent CMV infection had occurred in 31 (56%) of 55 patients with cirrhosis, whereas only 1 out of 20 (5%) patients with chronic non‐cirrhotic liver disease and none of the 50 blood donors had laboratory signs of active CMV infection. The difference between patients with cirrhosis and the control groups was significant (P < 0.001, χ2 test). CMV in patients with cirrhosis was not related to age, gender, hepatitis C virus infection or hepatocellular carcinoma. There was no significant correlation between impairment of liver function and the presence of active CMV infection. Patients with cirrhosis should be considered at risk for CMV infection, that seems to be mild and asymptomatic. J. Med. Virol. 62:25–28, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.