HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS DNA IN CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID

To determine the involvement of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) in conditi ons of neurological impairment, detection of CMV DNA was attempted in cerebrospinal fluid obtained from 45 neurologically affected children aged from 1 month to 17 years by means of the polymerase chain reactio n. Four patients (congenital CMV encephalopathy with West's syndrome, acute encephalitis, chronic epileptic encephalopathy, and lissencephal y) had CMV DNA in their cerebrospinal fluid, CMV DNA was absent in the cerebrospinal fluid of 11 neurologically unaffected controls aged fro m 1 month to 11 years. Three patients with acute CMV hepatitis had no CMV DNA in their cerebrospinal fluid. Among the four patients who had CMV DNA in their cerebrospinal fluid, two did not excrete CMV DNA or C MV antigen chain reaction to cerebrospinal fluid, in the urine. The po ssible pathogenetic significance of CMV DNA in the cerebrospinal fluid is discussed. By applying polymerase chain reaction to cerebrospinal fluid, the mode of brain invasion by CMV can be clarified further.