The conventional diagnostic procedures for CMV infections have been both isolation of viruses and titeration of serum antibodies. These methods need several days for the final diagnosis, causing a delay in the diagnosis. Therefore, a rapid diagnostic procedure has been highly required. In this study, we conducted polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using three sets of primers corresponding IE-, LA- and V-regions of the CMV genome. Using the former two sets of primers, many bands were amplified from a DNA sample isolated from the peripheral blood leukocytes of a patient with CMV infection. However, using the latter set of primers (V-region), a single band of 305bp was amplified. Using these V-region primers, no hybridization was needed to detect the specific band. No PCR amplification products was detected by using the V-region primers from DNAs isolated from normal subjects. We also tried to use urine sedimentation samples without extraction of DNA. Sedimented cells were resuspended in water, heated by a microwave oven and used for PCR templates. A 305bp band was also detected. Subsequently, the entire procedure of our method to detect the CMV DNA requires only 4 hours. Therefore, this PCR method is reliable and useful in making rapid diagnosis of CMV infection
