[Use of DNA amplification to diagnose cytomegalovirus in HIV seropositive patients].
BACKGROUND
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is common among HIV seropositive patients, being difficult to diagnose because it requires cell cultures not available in all hospitals. DNA amplification is being applied for diagnosis of infectious diseases with an increase in sensitivity and specificity with respect to previous laboratory methods.


METHODS
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been used in comparison with culture isolation, early antigen detection to diagnose CMV infection in 22 HIV infected patients, that suffered from symptoms compatible with CMV infection at the present time, and in other 5 patients suffering from Kaposi sarcoma. PCR was done with primer for CMV IE genomic region. The amplified sequences were detected after hybridization with a gamma-P-32 labelled probe, followed by electrophoresis in a 5% polyacrylamide gel and autoradiography.


RESULTS
The PCR allows to detect CMV genome in cases in which other tests are negatives, in blood as well as in urine, included those patients suffering only from febrile symptoms or with other associated pathogen.


CONCLUSIONS
PCR is a sensitive method to detect CMV, although it does not establish the responsibility of CMV in HIV infected patients.
García de Lomas
J
J
Departamento de Microbiología, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Valencia.
Gimeno
C
C
Artero
A
A
Alcácer
A
A
Marín
J
J
García de Lomas
E
E
Ocete
M D
MD
Serrat
C
C
Catalán
V
V
D001483:Base Sequence; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D004279:DNA, Viral
Utilidad de la amplificación de DNA para diagnosticar citomegalovirus en la población seropositiva para el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana.