HEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES

Infection rate of CMV in adults is approximately 60% in the developed countriesand almost 100% in the developing countries. Objectives: To evaluate the frequency ofcytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in patients with different hematological malignancies. Design:Observational study. Setting: Gulab Devi Chest Hospital & INMOL Hospital Lahore. Period: Sixmonths. Materials and methods: The blood samples were drawn from the selected patientsafter taking their written informed consent. The DNA was extracted from the whole blood andthe polymerase chain reaction was performed for CMV DNA using CMV PCR kit (CinnagenInc. Catalog # PR7836C). The 222bp fragment corresponding to the size marker and positivecontrol was considered as positive. The data was analyzed by SPSS version 16. Results: Themean age of patients was 36 years. Out of 16, 3 were presented with interstitial pneumonitis, 14with retinitis, 3 with esophagitis and 5 were presented with colitis respectively. In this study onesample was tested positive for CMV DNA. Conclusions: CMV infection may be a serious threatfor the patients with compromised immune system such as those receiving chemotherapy. Thescreening for CMV should be done before the blood transfusion to such patients.