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Hepatic cytomegalovirus involvement in autopsy cases
1Second Department of Pathology, University of Tokushima, School of Medicine, Japan.
Acta Pathologica Japonica
|September 1, 1991
Summary
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) liver infection was studied in autopsy cases. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization detected CMV in more cases and cells than routine staining, revealing infection in non-cytomegalic cells.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Pathology
Background:
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can cause significant hepatic involvement.
- Routine histological examination may underestimate the extent of CMV liver infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate hepatic CMV infection in autopsy cases.
- To compare the efficacy of immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH) with conventional staining for detecting CMV in liver tissue.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 15 autopsy cases with disseminated or solitary CMV infection.
- Examination of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver sections using IHC (monoclonal antibody against CMV antigens) and ISH (biotinylated CMV DNA probes).
- Comparison with conventional staining methods.
Main Results:
- Conventional staining identified cytomegalic cells in 3 cases.
- ISH detected CMV DNA in 5 cases, while IHC identified CMV antigens in 7 cases.
- Both IHC and ISH detected CMV infection in cytomegalic and non-cytomegalic cells, demonstrating superiority over routine histology.
- A weak inflammatory response was observed in the liver.
Conclusions:
- IHC and ISH are more sensitive than conventional staining for diagnosing CMV hepatitis.
- CMV infection in the liver occurs in both cytomegalic and non-cytomegalic cells.
- These methods may be valuable for analyzing liver biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavage specimens from immunocompromised patients.