0000000000496791
AUTHOR
Elena Gallo
Natural history of cytomegalovirus infection in a series of patients diagnosed with moderate-severe ulcerative colitis
AIM: To evaluate the natural history of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in a series of 28 ulcerative colitis patients in whom the search for HCMV was positive. METHODS: A series of 85 patients with moderate-severe ulcerative colitis flare-up were evaluated for a HCMV search by performing a haematoxylin and eosin stain, immunohistochemical assay and nested polymerase chain reaction on rectal biopsies. Among 85 screened patients (19 of whom were steroid resistant/dependant), 28 were positive for HCMV; after remission the patients were followed up clinically and histologically. RESULTS: Among the 22 patients with complete follow-up, in 8 (36%) patients HCMV-DNA persisted in the intestin…
P097 NATURAL HISTORY OF CYTOMEGALOVIRUS INFECTION IN A COHORT OF PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH MODERATE-SEVERE ULCERATIVE COLITIS
Toxic megacolon and human Cytomegalovirus in a series of severe ulcerative colitis patients
Abstract Background Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection has been reported to be a cause of refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). Toxic megacolon (TM) is a rare but severe complication of an acute attack of UC. Objectives Aim of this study is to evaluate in a case-control study the association between HCMV and TM. Study design All patients who were admitted at Medicine Department of V. Cervello Hospital in Palermo (tertiary referral center) for a severe UC flare-up complicated by the onset of TM (diameter of the transverse colon > 6 cm) between January 1990 and November 2011 were identified through the electronic database. A total of 24 consecutive patients (16 male/8 female) with TM were i…
Could JC virus provoke metastasis in colon cancer?
AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of John Cunningham virus (JC virus) in a small cohort of patients with colon cancer and to assess its presence in hepatic metastasis. METHODS: Nineteen consecutive patients with histologically diagnosed colon cancer were included in our study, together with ten subjects affected by histologically and serologically diagnosed hepatitis C virus infection. In the patients included in the colon cancer group, JC virus was searched for in the surgical specimen; in the control group, JC virus was searched for in the hepatic biopsy. The difference in the prevalence of JC virus in the hepatic biopsy between the two groups was assessed through the χ2 test. RESULTS: Four…
JC Virus and Lung Adenocarcinoma: Fact or Myth?
Background/aim An association has been reported between lung cancer and John Cunningham (JC) virus infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of JC virus in a small cohort of patients with lung adenocarcinoma and assess its presence in nodal metastasis. Materials and methods Consecutive samples of 13 surgically-removed lung tumors and 13 surrounding normal cancer-free tissues were selected. Five cases included metastatic lymph nodes. JC virus infection was assessed through nested PCR. Results Seven out of thirteen patients with lung adenocarcinoma had a positive PCR test for JC virus. One of the five patients with nodal metastasis had a positive PCR test for JC virus. N…
Is Epstein-Barr virus infection associated with the pathogenesis of microscopic colitis?
Abstract Background Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been associated with inflammation in the colon, particularly in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Even if a relevant plasmocytosis, similar to IBD, is present in microscopic colitis (MC), the frequency of EBV infection in this setting is unknown. Objectives We aimed to compare the frequency of colonic EBV infection in patients with MC, ulcerative colitis (UC), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Study design The frequency of colonic EBV infection in biopsies of 30 patients with MC, 30 patients with UC, and 30 controls with IBS was retrospectively assessed. PCR was performed to detect viral EBV DNA in colonic biopsies. In situ hy…