Further evidence of the absence of measles virus genome sequence in full thickness intestinal specimens from patients with Crohn's disease

Specimens of macroscopically inflamed and normal intestine along with mesen teric lymph nodes were obtained at resection from patients with Crohn's dis ease. The samples were systematically examined by RT-PCR-nested PCR targeti ng N, M and H gene regions of the measles virus genome. None of the samples examined gave any evidence of the persistence of measles virus in the inte stine of Crohn's disease patients. The study supports previous findings pro duced by this laboratory and others using highly sensitive measles virus sp ecific PCR diagnostic technology. J. Med. Virol. 62:377-382, 2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.