[The role of the host's immune system in the pathogenesis of cytomegalovirus-associated disease]

Abstract

Cytomegalovirus(CMV) causes various inflammatory diseases such as encephalitis, interstitial pneumonitis (IP), retinitis, hepatitis, gastritis and colitis, and raises serious concern especially in immunocompromized patients such as AIDS patients and organ transplant recipients. In some instances such as retinitis, hepatitis, gastritis and colitis, the mechanism underlying the diseases in the direct viral replication. On the other hand, an immunopathological basis is implicated in CMV-associated IP (CMV-IP). The results of the experiments from the mouse model of CMV-IP suggested that the cytokines, such as IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, and the cytokine-induced nitric oxide mediate CMV-IP. However, the reason how and why the CMV infection augments the production of the cytokines has been still unknown. In conclusion, it would be in mind that CMV-IP is not due to viral replication but due to the cytokines of the host's immune system. Therefore, the therapy against CMV-IP should target the cytokines, or the cytokine induced radicals.