Single and multiple mutations in the human cytomegalovirus UL97 gene and their relationship to the enzymatic activity of UL97 kinase for ganciclovir phosphorylation.

In this study we determined that the double mutant M460V/D605E in the UL97 gene of an HCMV isolate from an immunocompromised patient (MMT isolate) is related to resistance to ganciclovir (GCV) therapy. Our results suggest that the aspartic acid-to-glutamic acid substitution at codon 605 may be associated with a natural polymorphism of the UL97 gene, and not with positive selection pressure exerted by the antiviral drug. We also determined that GCV resistance due to the M460V mutation in the HCMV UL97 gene is not offset by a second mutation (D605E) at codon 605.

High prevalence of HTLV-I and HTLV-II among blood donors in Argentina: a South American health concern.

After an HTLV-I endemic area was discovered in Jujuy, a northwestern province in Argentina, to detect other possible foci of HTLV-I/II we started in 1997 a multicentric study to estimate the seroprevalence of HTLV-I/II including blood banks from different regions of the country. Out of 123,233 samples from nine different provinces, 68 proved seropositive with a final prevalence of 0.05% (95% CI = 0.

[Prevalence of HTLV-I/II infection among blood donors in Santa Fe Province, Argentina].

Subsequent to the National Epidemiologic Surveillance Program developed in 1997 by the National AIDS Program, anti-HTLV-I/II antibodies among blood donors in Santa Fe Province started to be detected. On the basis of this initial finding, it was regarded of interest to evaluate the true HTLV-I/II seroprevalence in this population during a four-year survey. Thus, from 1997 up to 2002, 9425 samples were studied from 17 out of the 19 provincial departments.

A possible case of myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis in an Argentinian woman with human T lymphocyte virus type II.

A case of neurological disease featuring human T lymphocyte virus-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) was diagnosed by serological (Western blot) and molecular (polymerase chain reaction) criteria as related to human T lymphocyte virus (HTLV)-II infection. This is, to our knowledge, the first case of this kind found in Argentina and is additional evidence that HAM/TSP solely related to HTLV-II infection occurs in HTLV-I-negative subjects.

A cluster of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis in Jujuy, Argentina.

Compared with other regions in Argentina, greater human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) seroprevalence has been reported in Jujuy Province, where it reaches 2.32% in the general population, so that a search for HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) cases deserved to be carried out. Accordingly, a clinically diagnosed and serologically confirmed cluster of cases in 1 man and 10 women, including 2 sisters, is described here.