CYTOMEGALOVIRUS DNA IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD LEUKOCYTES AND PLASMA FROM BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

Granulocytes, monocytes, and T- and B-lymphocytes were separated from 28 blood samples collected from 5 bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipie nts, About 40% of granulocyte, monocyte, and B-lymphocyte samples were CMV DNA-positive by polymerase chain reaction in recipients with cyto megalovirus (CMV) infection, CMV DNA was rarely detected in separated T-lymphocytes, Within each of the simultaneously separated paired samp les, there were several with single positive cell subtypes. Monocytes, granulocytes, and B-lymphocytes were the single positive samples in s ome instances, Thus, it is important to have all of the different cell subtypes present in samples for detection of CMV DNA in peripheral bl ood. We also studied the appearance of CMV DNA in plasma and periphera l blood leukocytes (PBLs) from 351 blood samples collected from 30 BMT recipients during a follow-up period of at least 3 months after BMT, All cell subtypes were represented in the PBL samples, In the 13 recip ients who developed symptoms possibly associated with CMV infection or CMV disease, a correlation with the detection of CMV DNA in less than or equal to 2x10(5) PBLs was found, In PBLs from II of the 13 BMT rec ipients, CMV DNA was detected before the onset of symptoms, CMV DNA wa s not detected in less than or equal to 2x10(5) PBLs from recipients w ithout CMV infection, The virus load in PBLs decreased during ganciclo vir treatment, Nine of the 13 recipients displayed PCR-positive plasma samples, and CMV DNA was detected frequently after the onset of sympt oms.