CYTOKINE RESPONSE AND POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION STUDY OF PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS IN INFANTS WITH HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-INFECTION

We tried to detect human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) DNA in CD4 + and CD8 T lymphocytes from fourteen infants with HCMV hepatitis using polymer ase chain reaction (PCR) assay, HCMV was isolated from their urine and anti-HCMV IgM antibody was detected in their sera, One set of primers were designed from a region - a major immediate early (IE) gene. We d etected HCMV IE DNA in the specimens obtained fr om six infants. HCMV IE DNA was detected from CD4 + cells in two cases and from CD8 + cells in one, In three cases, HCMV IE DNA was detected from both CD-F + and CD8 + cells. We also studied the relationship between HCMV infection and serum levels of cytokines. We determined serum levels of interleuk in-4 (IL-4), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and soluble inter leukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) which were associated with the activation o f T lymphocytes by enzyme immunoassay. In the acute phase of HCMV infe ction, titers of sIL-2R were correlated with serum levels of liver enz ymes in some cases. IL-3 and TNF-alpha activities were not detected in sera, It is likely that expression of viral genome on T lymphocytes a s well as activities of some cytokines are associated with active HCMV infection.