PCR-RFLP analysis of cytomegalovirus infections associated with bone marrow transplantation in Japanese children

In order to investigate the longitudinal molecular epidemiology of cytomega lovirus (CMV) infections associated with bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in Japanese children, we analyzed 36 CMV strains from 11 cases. Three regio ns (DNA polymerase, glycoprotein H, and immediate-early regions) of CMV DNA were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and amplified products were each digested with two restriction enzymes, followed by electrophoresi s, These restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses allowed t he differentiation of 36 strains into 13 genotypes, Each patient excreted h is or her own CMV with distinct genotype over the study period of up to one year CMVs of two different genotypes were recovered during a one-month stu dy from one recipient, who received a peripheral blood stem cell transplant ation. Although the majority of patients and donors were CMV-seropositive b efore BMT, multiple CMV infections might not be common and the reactivation of latently infected CMV might be prominent in Japanese children receiving transplants.