DIAGNOSIS AND CLINICAL CHARACTERIZATION O F CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-INFECTIONIN HIV-INFECTED SUBJECTS

Out of 180 HIV-carriers active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection was fou nd in 30 patients, in 16 cases the infection manifested clinically. Mo st of the latter were patients with HIV-infection IIIb or IIIc stage a gainst persistent lowering of CD4-lymphocyte count under 100/mm(3). Ac tive CMV infection may be determined most significantly by the followi ng criteria: high or moderate concentrations of CMV DNA in the blood, low concentrations of blood CMV DNA in the presence of long-term (at l east 3 months) persistence of anti-CMV IgM and isolation of urinary CM V. CMV infection manifested usually as a generalized disease with typi cal signs of retinitis, myelitis, erosive-ulcerative colitis. Most pat ients had thrombocytopenia, Functionally defective platelets. CNS invo lvement predicts poor prognosis in CMV-infected HIV-carriers.