Evaluation of three molecular biology-based assays for the detection of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus in clinical specimens.

Objective: The present study was performed to evaluate the reliability of three reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays, one commercial and two 'homebrew', for GB virus C (GBV-C)/hepatitis G virus (HGV) RNA detection in clinical specimens. We, therefore, investigated the virus prevalence with the method that gave us the best performances.

Methods: The commercial assay amplified sequences from the viral 5'-untranslated region (5'UTR) and non-structural 3 (NS3) region.

Virological efficacy in HIV-infected patients affected by non-Hodgkin lymphoma, treated with antiblastic chemotherapy and highly active antiretroviral therapy.

This study evaluated replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the genotypic resistance pattern in 26 HIV-infected patients affected by non-Hodgkin lymphoma who were treated with at least 3 cycles of chemotherapy (CT; rituximab and CDE) and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Genotyping was performed at baseline and when virological failure occurred. Six patients met the virological failure criteria.

Quantitative plasma/serum EBV DNA load by LMP2A determination in an Italian cohort of NPC patients.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is frequently associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), but little is known about the EBV DNA prevalence on peripheral blood in Western Countries, where the tumour is not endemic and its incidence is low.

Objectives: To set up and evaluate an internally controlled qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by quantitative competitive PCR for the detection of EBV DNA in clinical specimens. To investigate whether EBV DNA load in peripheral blood was a consistent feature of Italian NPC patients.

Impact of concomitant antiblastic chemotherapy and highly active antiretroviral therapy on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viremia and genotyping in HIV-infected patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

We evaluated the replication and resistance patterns of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) strains recovered from HIV-infected patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who were receiving chemotherapy (CT) concomitant with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We analyzed virological response to HAART in 35 patients with HIV and NHL who were treated with a cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin-vincristine-prednisone chemotherapy regimen and HAART and the virological response in 26 HIV-infected patients with CD20 cell-positive NHL who were treated with rituximab and cyclophosphamide-doxorubin-etoposide therapy. Genotype and virtual phenotype analyses were performed at baseline and when virological failure occurred.