Failure in generating hemopoietic stem cells is the primary cause of death from cytomegalovirus disease in the immunocompromised host

We have shown in a murine model system for cytomegalovirus (CMV)
disease in the immunocompromised host that CMV infection interferes
with the earliest detectable step in hemopoiesis, the generation of
the stem cell CFU-S-I, and thereby prevents the autoreconstitution
of bone marrow after sublethal irradiation. The antihemopoietic
effect could not be ascribed to a direct infection of stem cells.
The failure in hemopoiesis was prevented by adoptive transfer of
antiviral CD8+ T lymphocytes and could be overcome by syngeneic
bone marrow transplantation. CD8+ T lymphocytes and bone marrow
cells both mediated survival, although only CD8+ T lymphocytes were
able to limit virus multiplication in host tissues. We concluded
that not the cytopathic effect of virus replication in host
tissues, but the failure in hemopoiesis, is the primary cause of
death in murine CMV disease.