CYTOMEGALOVIRUS REACTIVATION AND TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) stimulates cytomegalovirus (CMV) ac tivity in a transfected human monocytic cell line. We assessed whether this finding is relevant in vivo by evaluating the frequency of activ e CMV infection in patients with diseases that enhance plasma TNF. In septic disease, peripheral blood mononuclear cells of almost all patie nts studied were positive for CMV. Furthermore, CMV antigenaemia and e nhanced plasma TNF occurred in many patients with liver cirrhosis, com mon variable immunodeficiency, and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemi a. Thus, TNF may have a central role in CMV reactivation.