Adenovirus in the gastrointestinal tracts of immunosuppressed patients.

Adenovirus was cultured from various gastrointestinal sites and one lung specimen from seven immunosuppressed patients, four of whom were bone marrow transplant recipients. Histologic examination and in situ hybridization studies of the lung demonstrated adenovirus in the bronchial epithelium and alveolar lining cells. In contrast, none of the 34 gastrointestinal biopsies performed within 30 days of the positive adenovirus culture showed histologic or molecular evidence of invasive adenovirus in the gastrointestinal mucosa. These results suggest that isolation of adenovirus from gastrointestinal biopsy specimens taken from immunosuppressed patients probably does not indicate an invasive adenoviral infection.