[Cytomegalovirus infection in melanoma patients]

The occurrence of active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in 30 patients with skin melanoma, aged 18-76 years, was studied with the enzyme immunoassay, the direct immunofluorescence test and the polymerase chain reaction. The patients were divided into two groups: group I consisted of 20 patients examined in a month after radical surgical treatment, group II consisted of 10 patients at the stage of the process generalization. For comparison, group III was formed consisting of 89 patients with diagnosed secondary immunodeficiency and clinical manifestations of CMV infection. The control group included 80 donors. The study showed that in group II the occurrence of active CMV infection was 4 times higher than in group I and practically coincided with the results registered in group III. In the evaluation of the immune status of the members of group II the most profound changes were revealed in T-cell mediated immunity and in phagocytic immunity; the adequate production of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1beta was absent, which created prerequisites for the activation of CMV and the aggravation of the prognosis.