Cytomegalovirus infection in children's liver tissues.

Immunoperoxidase histochemical assay with monoclonal antibody against human cytomaglovirus (HCMV) was used to detect immediate early antigen (IEA) and early antigen (EA) of HCMV infection in liver tissue of 72 pediatric cases (34 autopsies and 38 biopsies). The HCMV antigen was positive in 25% (18/27). Among them, 12 cases were both HCMV-IEA and EA positive; 4 were HCMV-IEA positive and 2 HCMV-EA positive only. Liver HCMV infection rate in neonates, the infants with the age < 1 year and > 1 year was 8.0%, 60.0%, and 14.8%, respectively, indicating that liver HCMV infection occurred at various ages. The liver HCMV infection rate in different diseases was 50.0% in infantile hepatitis syndrome; 70.0% in extrabiliary malformation, and 12.5% in other hepatopathies, suggesting that infantile hepatitis syndrome and extrabiliary malformation were related with HCMV infection in liver tissues.