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The intracellular localization of human cytomegalovirus DNA in peripheral blood leukocytes during active infections by high-resolution fluorescence in situ hybridization

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Summary

Although viremia is an integral part of the pathogenesis of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) disease, the interaction between HCMV and circulating leukocytes of actively infected patients remains an area of uncertainty. It is still a matter of dispute, whether leukocytes support viral replication with subsequent production of infectious virus. In a new approach we developed and applied a sensitive fluorescence in situ hybridization assay for the precise intracellular localization of HCMV genomes in leukocytes. It was shown that in vivo HCMV genomes were exclusively localized in the cytoplasm of leukocytes, indicating that the majority of these cells are virus carriers or abortively infected. Though this method easily detects single copy genes in metaphase chromosomes, the number of HCMV DNA positive leukocytes was significantly lower than the number of HCMV pp65 antigen positive cells. In relation to the pp65 antigen positive cells, only 1–4% of these cells were DNA positive. In addition, the much lower frequency of HCMV immediate early antigen positive leukocytes in comparison to the pp65 antigen positive cells and the impossibility of detecting other viral antigens support the hypothesis that the origin of pp65 found in leukocytes results mainly from protein uptake.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine University of Lübeck School of Medicine, Lübeck

    H. Hackstein, H. Kirchner & G. Bein

  2. Institute of Hygiene, Department of Medical Virology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    G. Jahn

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  1. H. Hackstein
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  2. H. Kirchner
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  3. G. Jahn
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  4. G. Bein
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Hackstein, H., Kirchner, H., Jahn, G. et al. The intracellular localization of human cytomegalovirus DNA in peripheral blood leukocytes during active infections by high-resolution fluorescence in situ hybridization. Archives of Virology 141, 1293–1305 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01718831

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01718831

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