Inter- and intragenic variations complicate the molecular epidemiology of human cytomegalovirus.

Human cytomegalovirus isolates were analyzed, both by restriction fragment-length polymorphism typing and by sequencing for intra- and intergenic variability at 9 sites on the genome, to determine whether genetic variation influenced disease outcome and whether linkage among genes could be identified. Variation at the UL55 (glycoprotein B [gB]), UL74 (gO), UL75 (gH), UL115 (gL), US9, and US28 gene open-reading frames was studied in relationship to outcome of cytomegalovirus disease. Major findings were that (1) on the basis of analysis of only 9 genomic sites, it is apparent that an almost infinite number of genetic combinations are theoretically possible; (2) genetic linkages are rare; (3) intragenic variability may be a complicating factor in molecular epidemiologic studies; and (4) analysis of only a single gene from a clinical isolate may not reveal the presence of either intragenic variants or mixtures of genotypes.