Cytomegalovirus Load in Inflamed Intestinal Tissue Is Predictive of Resistance to Immunosuppressive Therapy in Ulcerative Colitis

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have suggested an association between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and steroid-refractory inflammatory bowel disease. In this study, the use of CMV DNA load during acute flare-ups of ulcerative colitis (UC) to predict resistance to immunosuppressive therapy was evaluated in intestinal tissue. METHODS: Forty-two consecutive patients (sex ratio M/F: 0.9, mean age: 43.6 years) hospitalized for moderate to severe UC...