[Cytomegalovirus infection in patients with ulcerative colitis].

AIM: Adjusting therapy of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) regarding their cytomegalovirus (CMV)--status.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

40 patients were included, mean age--44.3 +/- 3.2 yo. DNA CMV was detected in mucosal tissue samples from rectum using real-time PCR.

RESULTS

4 (10%) were CMV-positive. CMV-positive status rate was higher among patients on therapy with immunomodulators 3 (23.1%) vs 1 in patients on steroids and/or salicylates. There was significantly higher rate of severe disease and steroid dependence among CMV-positive patients than among CMV-negative: 75% vs 13.9%, 75% vs 8.3% correspondently.

CONCLUSION

CMV-infection is associated with severe and steroid-dependent UC.