| Theme | Infectious diseases of the intestine | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | CMV infection: current perspective | |
| Publish Date | 2019/04 | |
| Author | Minoru Matsuura | Department of Endoscopic Medicine, Kyoto University Hospital |
| Author | Yusuke Honzawa | Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kyoto University Hospital |
| Author | Shuji Yamamoto | Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kyoto University Hospital |
| Author | Hiroshi Seno | Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kyoto University Hospital |
| [ Summary ] | Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a double-stranded DNA virus and a member of the herpesvirus family. CMV infection persists in a latent state throughout the host’s life following primary infection. However, CMV reactivation often occurs in various immunocompromised hosts, such as patients with hematopoietic or solid organ transplantation, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and acquired immune defi ciency syndrome (AIDS), and who received chemotherapy, corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressant therapies. CMV reactivation is directly induced by inflammatory signals, such as tumor necrosis factor, and also infl uenced by the inhibitory eff ect of immunosuppressive agents on the host immune surveillance in the prevention of CMV reactivation. The gastrointestinal tract is one of predominant organ involved in CMV infection, but it is sometimes hard to make a diagnosis due to diversity in the endoscopic findings. Therefore, further studies are required to clarify the endoscopic characteristics of CMV-related gastrointestinal lesions. | |