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.