Serological evidence of infection with cytomegalovirus was established in six out of 27 children with leukaemia observed over a period of 37 mth; overt illness was observed in three of these six. Infection with qtomegalovirus apparently did not influence the prognosis of the underlying disease and there was no evidence that immunoglobulin deficiency predisposed to infection.The cytotoxic drugs which are used in the management of childhood leukaemia may impair the immunological responses of the patient and so may predispose to infection with organisms not commonly associated with systemic disease. Infection with one such organism, cytomegalovirus (CMV), has attracted attention and patients with this infection have been treated with specific antiviral drugs (Cangir et al, 1967;Sullivan et al, 1968; Conchie et al, 1968).The clinical features of infection with CMV in childhood leukaemia and its effect upon prognosis are discusscd in the following report. METHODS AND MATERIAL Patients StudiedFifty-three children with leukaemia were observed as outpatients over periods of up to 37 mth (mean 18.5 mth) between April 1965 and May 1968. Forty-seven were diagnosed as acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), four as acute myelocytic leukaemia (AML) and two as chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). The children were bled at approximately 2-monthly intervals. Virological MethodsStrains of CMV were recovered from patients by the inoculation of urine and throat washings into human embryo fibroblast cultures. Although clearly desirable, it was not found possible to titrate the virus found in urine and throat swabs and to compare it with the titres of appropriate control children. The Rawls strain of CMV was used to prepare a cellassociated complement-fixing (CF) antigen by the suspension of infected cells in a minimal quantity of diluent and subsequent disruption by freezing and thawing. The Takatsy method (1955) as adapted and modified by Sever et al (1964) was used in CF tests. Sera from each individual were tested together in the same experiment and those yielding equivocal Hill, Londofi, S.E.5.

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