DIAGNOSIS OF CYTOMEGALOVIRUS (HCMV) INFECTIONS IN IMMUNOSUPPRESSED PATIENTS - CORRELATION BETWEEN VIROLOGICAL, SEROLOGICAL, AND CLINICAL-DATA

The virological laboratory diagnosis of the infection with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) was compared to clinical parameters. 116 triple specimens (blood/urine/serum) from 61 immunosuppressed patients were tested for infectious cytomegalovirus in leukocytes and urine and screened for virus-specific antibodies in serum specimens. In addition, in situ hybridization was used for detection of HCMV-DNA in 70 blood samples from 30 patients of the same group. Our results indicate that for laboratory diagnosis of active cytomegalovirus infection in immunosuppressed patients the rapid detection of infectious HCMV in urine, applying the early-antigen-immunoperoxidase staining in cell culture, represents a helpful extension of serologic testing. The more time-consuming isolation of HCMV from leukocytes should be reserved to cases of clinical suspicion of cytomegalovirus infection in the absence of serological signs.