Laboratory signs of acute or recent cytomegalovirus infection are common in cirrhosis of the liver

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an ubiquitous pathogen that can cause severe and often fatal infections in immunocompromised patients. Patients with ci rrhosis often show various degrees of impaired cellular immunity that could lead to acute CMV reactivation. The aim of the present study was to determ ine whether laboratory findings of active CMV infections are common in pati ents with cirrhosis. Fifty-five patients with cirrhosis were studied for ac ute CMV infection by virological (antigenemia and quantitative polymerase c hain reaction in polymorphonuclear leukocytes) and serological (detection o f anti-CMV IgM by immunoblot) methods. The same tests were carried out on 5 0 blood donors and on 20 chronic hepatitis patients, considered as control populations. Acute or recent CMV infection had occurred in 31 (56%) of 55 p atients with cirrhosis, whereas only 1 out of 20 (5%) patients with chronic non-cirrhotic liver disease and none of the 50 blood donors had laboratory signs of active CMV infection. The difference between patients with cirrho sis and the control groups was significant (P < 0.001, chi(2) test). CMV in patients with cirrhosis was not related to age, gender, hepatitis C virus infection or hepatocellular carcinoma. There was no significant correlation between impairment of liver function and the presence of active CMV infect ion. Patients with cirrhosis should be considered at risk for CMV infection , that seems to be mild and asymptomatic. J. Med. Virol. 62:25-28, 2000. (C ) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.