title: Detection of herpesvirus DNA by nested polymerase chain reaction in cerebrospinal fluid of human immunodeficiency virus-infected persons with neurologic disease: a prospective evaluation.
abstract: A nested polymerase chain reaction-based method was used prospectively to detect herpesvirus DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 111 patients with AIDS, 39 of whom had a suspected diagnosis of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-associated neurologic disease (patients with encephalopathy, polyradiculopathy, or peripheral neuropathy) and 72 who had alternative diagnoses. CSF from 24 (62%) of the patients with suspected CMV-associated disease had detectable CMV DNA compared with only 8 (11%) of the patients with other diagnoses. Varicella-zoster virus DNA was detected in CSF from 3 patients (2 with myelitis and 1 with encephalitis), all of whom had recent cutaneous zoster. No CSF specimen contained detectable herpes simplex virus type 1 DNA, and none of the patients with myelitis had detectable herpes simplex virus type 2 DNA in CSF. This study demonstrates a significant association between detectable CMV DNA in CSF and suspected CMV-associated neurologic disease in patients with AIDS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University College London Medical School and Hospitals, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Brink
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zuckerman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neild
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Gazzard
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Tedder
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000150:complications; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral