Prevalence of Active Cytomegalovirus Infection in Hemodialysis Patients

ABSTRACT         Background and Objectives: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common viral cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of active CMV infection in hemodialysis patients in Gorgan, Iran.         Methods: Plasma samples were obtained from 149 hemodialysis patients at Hemodialysis Unit of Panje-Azar Medical Centre in Gorgan, Iran. Presence of CMV-DNA in plasma samples was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers for highly conserved regions of major capsid protein gene of HCMV. In addition, level of CMV-IgM antibody was measured by serological testing. Demographic information and past medical history of patients were also recorded. Data was analyzed by SPSS software (version 18).        Results: Total prevalence of CMV infection was 6.7% (10/149) among the patients receiving hemodialysis. CMV-DNA and anti-CMV IgM antibody were detected in 2.68% and 4.69%, of the samples, respectively. One case was found positive for both CMV-DNA and anti-CMV IgM antibody. CMV infection did not have any correlation with gender, age, ethnicity, duration of hemodialysis, and history of blood transfusion.         Conclusion: A notable proportion of hemodialysis patients in Gorgan have active CMV infection. Accurate detection of these individuals is important for preventing infection spread, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Simultaneous diagnosis of CMV infection using serological testing and PCR assay could help reduce the risk of infection spread.           Keywords: HCMV, Hemodialysis, PCR, Iran.