ABSENCE OF CYTOMEGALOVIRUS AND EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS EXPRESSION IN LABIAL SALIVARY-GLANDS OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE

We investigated in 15 consecutive patients a possible correlation betw een expression of CMV or EBV in labial salivary gland (LSG) biopsies p erformed 100 days after allogeneic BMT and subsequent development of c hronic GVHD, Three techniques were performed for the detection of each virus: immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and PCR, Eleven pa tients developed chronic GVHD, Histologic examination detected a moder ate lymphoid infiltrate (grade 1 according to Sale's score) in LSG bio psy in only one patient, CMV genes or proteins could not be detected i n any patients, Likewise, EBV genome or proteins were not detected by ill situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. However, in three of the 15 patients, EBV DNA was detected by PCR in LSG biopsies, Only one of these three patients developed chronic GVHD, Therefore, at the pre sent time, the presence of a lymphoid infiltrate on lip biopsies perfo rmed at day 100 post-BMT does not appear to be sensitive enough for th e diagnosis or the prediction of the subsequent development of chronic GVHD, Moreover, the absence of EBV or CMV expression in a day-100 LSG biopsy does not preclude the development of chronic GVHD.