ArticleVirology journal2026
Cytomegalovirus infection drives a distinct mucosal and systemic cytokine signature in ulcerative colitis.
Article in Virology journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
Abstract
purposeUlcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease in which cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation has been linked to severe and steroid-refractory cases. However, the effect of CMV on cytokine regulation in UC remains unclear. This study investigated colonic and systemic cytokine profiles in CMV-positive and CMV-negative UC patients.
methodsA total of 190 UC patients were enrolled, including 90 CMV-positive and 100 CMV-negative cases. CMV status was confirmed by molecular and histopathological tests. Colonic gene expression of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17 A, IFN-γ, TGF-β, IL-8, IL-12, and RANTES) was measured by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and serum concentrations were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
resultsDemographic and clinical features were comparable between groups. CMV-positive patients showed higher colonic mRNA expression and serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17 A compared to CMV-negative patients (all p < 0.05). In contrast, IFN-γ, TGF-β, IL-8, IL-12, and RANTES did not differ significantly. Notably, CMV tissue viral load was significantly higher in patients with moderate to severe disease (Mayo score ≥ 6) and showed a positive correlation with plasma viral load (r = 0.664, p < 0.01). Multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted for Mayo score confirmed that elevated TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 remained independently associated with CMV positivity. These findings indicate a selective pro-inflammatory cytokine pattern rather than generalized immune activation.
conclusionCMV infection in UC is associated with selective upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines at both mucosal and systemic levels. These findings highlight CMV as a potential driver of immune amplification in UC and support cytokine profiling as a tool for risk stratification and management of affected patients.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.