Recovery of Viruses from Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Tmmunocompronised Patients

Abstract

Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is the most common complication in immunocompromised patients (lCPs). Human • cytomegalovirus• (HCMV) • remains an important cause of illness in those patients. Forty immunocompromised patients (33 patients at the National Cancer Institute and 7 at El Mania! Specialized Hospital, Cairo University) were studied for the occurrence of respiratory tract infections especially CMV infection. They were subjected to fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) and bronchioalveolar lavage (BAL). BAL were examined for bacterial and fungal infection, for CMV infeCtion by cytological examination, culture on BHK 21 cell line and nucleic acid detection of CMV by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We found 35% of adults and 14.3% of children had Pseudomonas aeroginosa . isolated. Candida albicans was isolated from 15.8 % of patients. Concerning CMV isolation, 20% of the examined BAL showed the characteristic CMV changes by cytology, 10% were positive using immunofluorescence monoclonal antibodies to CMV antigens on cultured BHK21 cells and 15% of the examined BAL. were positive by using CMV­ DNA by PCR. BAL has proved valuable in the diagnosis of pulmo11ary complications in immunosuppressed patients, detection of CMV by cell • " - culture has been shown to be a god reliable marker for CMV infection. •