[Broncho-alveolar lavage cells are the most significant reservoir of human cytomegalovirus genome].

The aim of the study is to estimate human cytomegalovirus DNA copy number in different compartments (BAL cells, blood leukocytes, serum) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). There were 16 patients (mean age 40.87 +/-10.97; 9 males, 7 females) with newly diagnosed and so far not treated IPF included in the study. The diagnosis of IPF was confirmed by typical HRCT findings and/or lung biopsy histopathological examination (result of the biopsy: "usual interstitial pneumonia"). There were also 16 adult volunteers (mean age 36.75 +/- 6.43; 12 males, 4 females) included in the study as a control group. Using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction the HCMV DNA copy number was estimated. The prevalence of HCMV DNA positive subjects in the IPF group (75%) was higher, but did not differ significantly from the control group (69%). The HCMV DNA copy number in 1 million BAL cells was significantly higher comparing to blood leukocytes, both in IPF and control group (log10 = 2.7 vs. 1.2 for IPF and 2.8 vs. 0.9 for control, respectively). Higher mean HCMV DNA copy number was observed in IPF patients comparing to control group (log10 = 3.2 for IPF and 2.0 for control) in 1 mL of blood serum. We concluded that the lungs play an important role in human cytomegalovirus latency and infection reactivation and thus could be a cofactor modulating the course of IPF in humans. The contribution of HCMV infection in IPF patients should be taken into account during immunosuppression therapy planning.