The human eye (retina): a site of persistent HCMV infection?

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) retinitis frequently occurs in severely naturally and iatrogenically immunocompromised patients. It has been shown that the immune-privileged retina is a major site of HCMV infection in AIDS patients. It is conceivable either that during the immunosuppression HCMV infection reactivates in various other organs viremically affecting the retina or that HCMV persisting in the retina may locally reactivate and result in HCMV retinitis. METHODS: As there is still controversy about the sites of HCMV latency and persistence we investigated 75 eyes of HIV-seronegative patients undergoing enucleation due to a variety of malignant and non-viral benign ophthalmic disorders for the retinal presence of HCMV antigen and DNA. RESULTS: None of the analyzed patients had symptoms of HCMV retinitis. Immunohistologic staining as well as Taq Man DNA PCR analysis showed all samples to be free of HCMV. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the human eye is rather unlikely to be a site of productive or latent HCMV persistence.