HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS DNA IS NOT DETECTABLE WITH NESTED DOUBLE POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION IN HEALTHY BLOOD-DONORS

The PCR method was introduced to detect cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA from 189 peripheral blood samples of volunteer donors. We adopted the nest ed double PCR method with primers specific for immediate early gene 1 followed by electrophoresis and ethidium bromide staining. This nested double PCR method was sensitive enough to detect approximately a sing le copy of CMV DNA. However, we failed to obtain positive amplificatio n of CMV DNA from any of these donor samples. In contrast, CMV DNA cou ld be detected in all 3 tested immunocompromised patients who had unde rgone bone marrow transplantation. These results support our previous report that the frequency of CMV DNA is of an order lower than 1 copy/ 10(5) leucocytes in the peripheral blood of healthy seropositive indiv iduals.