Detection of human cytomegalovirus in clinical specimens by centrifugation culture with a nonhuman cell line.

The sensitivities of MRC-5 and mink lung (ML) cells in centrifugation culture were compared simultaneously for the detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) IE antigen (immediate-early antigen) from clinical specimens. Of 413 samples assayed, 51 (12%) were positive for CMV by both centrifugation and standard cell culture. At 20 h postinoculation (p.i.), 46 of 51 (90.2%) CMV-positive specimens were detected in ML cells. At 40 h p.i., 50 of 51 (98.0%) CMV-positive specimens were detected in ML cells, compared with 48 of 51 (94.0%) in MRC-5 cells. There was no significant difference in the detection of CMV in either cell line by centrifugation culture. However, in 19 of 23 positive samples that had countable foci at 20 h p.i., there was a 25% increase in the number of positive foci observed for ML cells compared with MRC-5 cells. Less toxicity was also noted for ML cells than for MRC cells, particularly in viral blood specimens. These data suggest that ML cells are comparable to MRC-5 cells for the rapid detection of CMV by centrifugation culture.