DETECTION OF HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS, EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS, AND HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS IN DIFFUSE INTERSTITIAL PNEUMONIA BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY

Using formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues from autopsy, the a uthors examined infection by human cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus , and herpes simplex virus in 54 patients with primary or secondary di ffuse interstitial pneumonia (DIP) by polymerase chain reaction and im munohistochemistry and compared it with that in 32 persons without lun g complications. Polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry de monstrated that approximately 40% and 30% of DIP sere positive for hum an cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus, respectively; but none of 3 2 controls had evidence of infection by human cytomegalovirus and Epst ein-Barr virus. The polymerase chain reaction was more sensitive than the immunohistochemical technique for detection of herpes simplex viru s. The former technique revealed herpes simplex virus infection in app roximately 90% of DIP and controls and the latter in approximately 50% of each group. However, immunohistochemistry had the advantage of dem onstrating the morphologic Location of infected cells and of allowing their semiquantitative evaluation. Herpes simplex virus was more exten sively distributed in the lungs of several DIP cases than in those of controls, suggesting the reactivation of herpes simplex virus. Only DI P patients (31 cases [57.4%]) were infected by two or three kinds of h erpesviruses. The combination of polymerase chain reaction and immunoh istochemistry revealed that these herpesviruses proliferated in many c ases of DIP.