RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection reportedly is detectable in the gastrointestinal mucosa of patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease. One view is that CMV infection is of clinical significance in patients with Crohn's disease with severe colitis not responding to steroid therapy. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of CMV infection in our own patients with Crohn's disease treated with colon resection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 16 consecutive patients with Crohn's disease with colitis who underwent surgery for colonic disease. Histology and immunohistochemistry were used to examine the CMV infection in their surgical specimens by means of enzymatic antigen retrieval, mouse monoclonal antibody, clone CMV01, and a sensitive polymer detection system. RESULTS: All 16 patients underwent colon resection, three of them undergoing emergency surgery. No CMV infection was found in their surgical specimens. CONCLUSION: CMV infection seems not to play a major role in the pathogenesis of Crohn's colitis requiring surgery. However, further prospective studies with larger number of patients are needed to determine the role of CMV in active Crohn's colitis.