Failure in detection of Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus in specimenobtained by fine needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid in patients with subacute thyroiditis

To study the possible role of viral infection in the etiology of subacute t hyroiditis (SAT), we measured serum virus-specific antibodies to measles, r ubella, mumps, type I herpes, chicken pox: human parvovirus B19 and cytomeg alovirus (CMV) in 10 patients with SAT during the course of illness. In spi te of the presence of IgG to each virus in more than 70% of patients, no si gnificant changes in the IgG titers were observed except those to measles, rubella, chicken pox or CMV in only 10% of patients, respectively. Then we examined the presence of virus DNA in specimens of 9 patients with SAT obta ined by fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB)of the thyroid. DNA mas amplifi ed to detect that of Epstein-Barr virus and CMV by polymerase chain reactio n. However, none of them were detected in all the specimens, Whereas previo us studies suggest the involvement of viral infection in the pathogenesis o f SAT, we failed to demonstrate significant changes in serum antiviral anti body titers or to detect viral DNA in the specimens obtained by FNAB of the thyroid. Thus further studies are clearly required to establish the defini te role of viral infection in the pathogenesis of SAT. (C) 1998 Tohoku Univ ersity Medical Press.