CMV infection in patients with chronic renal failure and in those following transplantation.

Serum anti-CMV IgG was found in 62% of healthy blood donors. Patients in a chronic haemodialysis programme were seropositive in 80%, and kidney graft recipients in 93 to 100%, depending on the post-transplantation period. Median of the IgG titre was 1:10 in healthy persons, 1:80 in dialysed patients, and 1:40 in graft recipients. Anti-CMV IgG was never detected in healthy blood donors. IgM positivity was found in one of 30 dialysed patients, and in four of 27 kidney graft recipients. Compared with healthy blood donors, a higher percentage of CD 8 lymphocytes and LGL was found in dialysed patients exhibiting an anti-CMV IgG above 1:40. NK activity was impaired in all patients in the chronic haemodialysis programme.