DETECTION OF HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS AND EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS BY THE POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION IN PATIENTS WITH BETA-THALASSEMIA

Infections caused by Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein-Barr vir us (EBV) are common in multiple transfused patients, such as patients with beta-thalassaemia. The ability of the Polymerase Chain Reaction ( PCR) to amplify HCMV and EBV DNA from blood and other samples makes th is technique a valuable diagnostic tool for the detection of both viru ses in the early stages of the infection. PCR was used for the amplifi cation of a 435 bp region of the immediate early-1 (IE-1) gene of HCMV and a 375 bp sequence from the EcoRI B fragment of EBV genome. Blood samples from 80 patients with beta-thalassaemia were examined. HCMV wa s found in 14 and EBV in 12 patients. The results obtained confirm the implications of HCMV and EBV in the diagnosis of viral infections in multiple transfused patients as well as the importance of PCR techniqu e as a valuable diagnostic tool.