[Cytomegalic virus infection in normal and disturbed immunity. Clinical and animal experiment studies]

Virological and serological studies of cytomegalovirus infections revealed following results: 1. The distribution of cytomegalovirus infections in the area of Munich can be compared with other European areas. 57% of adults have antibodies against the cytomegalovirus. 2. Cytomegalovirus is an important agent initiating infectious liver diseases in childhood. 3. The virus is also an important factor for severe cerebral retardation. 4. Studies in adult mice showed that a non-pathogenic strain of mouse cytomegalovirus can produce a fatal infection, when the immunological resistance was depressed by cytotoxic agents (i.e. cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, antilymphocyte serum). 5. Cytosine arabinoside inhibiting in vitro the replication of DNA viruses, increases in mice significantly the cytomegalovirus infection. Therefore cytosine arabinoside should be used very critically in the therapy of human cytomegalovirus infections.