[Evaluation of the LightCycler 480 real-time PCR system for the measurement of CMV, EBV, HHV-6 and BKV viral loads in whole blood].

Objective: The Roche LightCycler 480 (LC480) system was evaluated for quantitative molecular diagnosis of opportunistic viral infections caused by human cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), and BK virus (BKV), in comparison with "in-house" real-time PCR assays.

Patients And Methods: A total of 253 whole blood specimens obtained from transplant recipients were tested.

Results: Both the "in-house" and the LC480 methods were highly correlated (Spearman correlation coefficient Rho> or =0.

Use of the Roche LightCycler 480 system in a routine laboratory setting for molecular diagnosis of opportunistic viral infections: Evaluation on whole blood specimens and proficiency panels.

The Roche LightCycler 480 (LC480) system was evaluated for quantitative molecular diagnosis of opportunistic viral infections caused by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and BK virus (BKV), in comparison with "in-house" real-time PCR assays. A total of 253 whole blood specimens obtained from transplant recipients were tested. Both the "in-house" and the LC480 methods were highly correlated (Spearman correlation coefficient Rho>or=0.

Antiretroviral combinations implicated in emergence of the L74I and L74V resistance mutations in HIV-1-infected patients.

Background: Very little is known about the alternative L74I mutation. This lack of knowledge has led to contradictory and confusing attitudes to L74I; although this mutation is not listed by the International AIDS Society - USA, it is increasingly included in several resistance algorithms.

Objective: To compare and clarify the role of each antiretroviral compound and the resistance background in the emergence of the L74I and L74V mutations.

Prevalence and conditions of selection of E44D/A and V118I human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase mutations in clinical practice.

Recently, it has been shown that a new mutational pattern (the E44D/A and/or V118I mutation) confers moderate phenotypic lamivudine resistance in the absence of the M184V mutation. The E44D/A and/or the V118I mutation does not exist in drug-naive patients, and the prevalence increases with the number of treatment regimens and lamivudine experience. The mutations can preexist in nucleoside-experienced but lamivudine-naive patients.

[Conditions of "thymidine analog mutations" (TAMs) in naive patients treated with different combinations of d4T].

Recently, d4T/ddI combination has been associated with the selection of thymidine analogue mutations (TAMs) in 50% of patients with a detectable viral load after 6 to 12 months of this bi-therapy (ALBI, STADI and BMS A1460 tests). We evaluated the rate of selection of the TAMs in naive patients with a viral load of > 200 copies/mL after: 6 months to 1 year of d4T/3TC bi-therapy (group 1); 1 year or more of a treatment including d4T/3TC (group 2); and more than 6 months of tri-therapy including d4T/ddI (group 3). The reverse transcriptase gene has ben studied in 33 patients in group 1, 17 patients in group 2 and ten patients in group 3.