Evaluation of glycoprotein B genotypes and load of CMV infecting blood leukocytes on prognosis of AIDS patients.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) remains an important pathogen to immunocompromised patients even in the era of HAART. The present study aimed at evaluating the influence of CMV viral load and its gB genotypes on AIDS patients' outcome.

Methods: Blood samples of 101 AIDS patients were collected and tested for HIV load, CD4 - cell count and opportunistic pathogens, including CMV.

Cytomegalovirus in colorectal cancer and idiopathic ulcerative colitis.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a genus in the family Herpesviridae that has been associated with gastrointestinal syndromes. In this work we looked for a possible association of CMV infection with colorectal cancer and ulcerative colitis (UC). Blood and enteric tissue samples of 14 patients with colorectal cancer and of 21 with UC were subjected to a nested-PCR that amplifies part of the gB gene of CMV and also to immunohistochemistry using a specific monoclonal antibody to IE 76 kDa protein of CMV.

The use of qualitative and quantitative polymerase chain reactions for diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infections in bone marrow and kidney transplant recipients.

The purpose of this work was to test a cytomegalovirus qualitative PCR and a semi-quantitative PCR on the determination of CMV load in leukocytes of bone marrow and kidney transplanted (RT) patients. Thirty three BMT and 35 RT patients participated of the study. The DNA was subjected to a qualitative PCR using primers that amplify part of CMV gB gene.

PCR with the aqueous humor, blood leukocytes and vitreous of patients affected by cytomegalovirus retinitis and immune recovery uveitis.

Purpose: To detect the cytomegalovirus (CMV) genome by PCR in the aqueous humor, blood leukocytes and vitreous of patients affected by retinitis and immune recovery uveitis (IRU).

Methods: A PCR for CMV genome detection was carried out with the aqueous humor, vitreous and blood leukocytes of 54 patients with retinitis, including 25 HIV-infected patients presenting CMV retinitis in different stages (active lesion 6 cases, healed lesion 14 cases and IRU 5 cases), and 29 non-HIV-infected patients (retinitis unrelated to CMV) as negative controls.

Results: The CMV genome was detected in the vitreous, aqueous humor and blood leukocytes of 3 out of 6 HIV-infected patients, presenting active lesions in the retina.

Diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infections by qualitative and quantitative PCR in HIV infected patients.

A high incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections is observed in Brazil. These viruses are causatives of significant morbidity and mortality among patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. This work, shows the application of a PCR on determination of CMV load in the buffy coat and plasma.