Genetic variability in E6, E7 and L1 protein of HPV81 from HIV-1 positive women in Italy.

The genetic variability of E6, E7 and L1 of HPV81 from HIV-1 positive women carrying multiple HPV infections was investigated by clonal analysis for E6 and E7. The range of maximal divergence from the prototype was 0.6%-2.

Effective highly active antiretroviral therapy in patients with primary HIV-1 infection prevents the evolution of the avidity of HIV-1-specific antibodies.

Objective: To evaluate if the administration of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) during primary HIV infection (PHI) may affect the antibody avidity evolution.

Methods: In 13 subjects with symptomatic PHI, of whom 8 initiated HAART at diagnosis, the Avidity Index (AI) and Western blot evolution patterns were analyzed on serial serum/plasma samples for 1 year. In 4 patients, who subsequently interrupted HAART, additional specimens were analyzed.

Improved detection of human influenza A and B viruses in respiratory tract specimens by hemi-nested PCR.

RT-PCR is the most sensitive assay for diagnosis of influenza, due to enhanced rapidity and sensitivity as compared to classical methods. Hemi-nested RT-PCR was developed, targeting NP gene for influenza A and NS gene for influenza B, based on a previous single round RT-PCR method. The new method was compared with the previous technique for analytical sensitivity and specificity, and was applied to clinical samples from the lower and upper respiratory tract.

Possible compartmentalization of hepatitis C viral replication in the genital tract of HIV-1-coinfected women.

Background: We estimated the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in cervical cytobrush samples from HCV/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-coinfected women and analyzed the HCV quasi species in both cytobrush and plasma samples. Possible compartmentalization of viral quasi species in the genital tract and plasma was evaluated by comparison of genetic heterogeneity and use of phylogenetic analysis.

Methods: Paired plasma and cytobrush samples were obtained from 85 HCV/HIV-coinfected women.

Application of a molecular panel to demonstrate enterotropic virus shedding by healthy and human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.

We used a molecular panel, targeting seven enteric viruses, to explore the advantage of using molecular methods to establish the etiology of enteric diseases and to evaluate the prevalence of enteric viruses in asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. This approach favors rapidity and sensitivity of laboratory diagnosis of viral enteric syndromes.