Relationship between cytomegalovirus DNA load in epithelial lining fluid and plasma of lung transplant recipients and analysis of coinfection with Epstein-Barr virus and human herpesvirus 6 in the lung compartment.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in lung transplant recipients (LTRs). The aim of the present study was to elucidate the relationship between the CMV DNA load in the lung compartment and that in plasma. For CMV load determination, the level of CMV DNA in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples was measured in a total of 97 paired BAL and plasma samples obtained from 25 LTRs.

Detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in serum specimens from patients with mycoplasma pneumonia by PCR.

There are few data on detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae from blood, serum or plasma, and systematic studies on this diagnostic approach in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are scarce. Compared to testing respiratory specimens, this approach has the advantages that it is less dependent on proper specimen collection, serum is easily stored and handled, and the pathogen is detected in a primary sterile site, where colonization can be ruled out. In this study, acute-phase serum specimens from 29 patients of Vienna University Hospital (treated between 11/1994 and 6/2004; female: 14, male: 15; median age: 31 years, range: 15-66 years) with CAP and serologically verified M.

Low proportion of recent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections among newly diagnosed cases of HIV infection as shown by the presence of HIV-specific antibodies of low avidity.

The time between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and diagnosis is mostly unknown. Two hundred five newly diagnosed patients were investigated for the duration of their HIV infection by avidity testing. Recent HIV infection was identified in 27.

Serum Epstein-Barr virus DNA load in primary Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Specific viral laboratory diagnosis of primary Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection is usually based on antibody-detection assays. During acute, lytic phase of infection, viral DNA can also be detected in serum. In the present study, the diagnostic utility of EBV DNA detection and quantitation in serum in primary EBV infection was investigated.

Association of cytomegalovirus DNA concentration in epithelial lining fluid and symptomatic cytomegalovirus infection in lung transplant recipients.

Background: The authors have investigated the effectiveness of virus detection from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples for the identification of symptomatic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in lung transplant recipients.

Methods: Thus, 275 BAL samples taken from 105 lung transplant recipients during follow-up were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virus isolation.

Results: Quantitative PCR detected virus in all 24 BAL samples taken at onset of symptomatic disease, and virus culture in only 7 samples (29.

Detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in normal cervical smears of HCV-seropositive patients.

The presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in normal cervical smears (CS) obtained from 22 HCV-seropositive and 50 HCV-seronegative patients was assessed by reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The presence of HCV in serum was established by use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot test, and RT-PCR. HCV was detected in 36.