title: Quantitation of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) DNA in cerebrospinal fluid by competitive PCR in AIDS patients with different HCMV central nervous system diseases.
abstract: The current study was designed to quantitate human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of persons with AIDS with specific HCMV-related CNS disease. DNA present in CSF obtained from AIDS patients was initially detected by a qualitative PCR procedure and then quantitated using a competitive PCR assay. In a group of 21 AIDS patients with HCMV-related CNS disease, 12 patients with HCMV polyradiculopathy had a mean +/- SEM of 11,982 +/- 4,480 copies/microliters in their CSF compared to 1,747 +/- 929 for 9 patients with HCMV encephalitis p = 0.017). Of the 14 patients with > 1,000 copies/microliters of HCMV DNA in CSF, 11(79%) had HCMV polyradiculopathy including all 3 with > 10,000 copies/microliters. Ganciclovir treatment of 3 patients with HCMV-related CNS disease was associated with a decline in HCMV DNA detectable within CSF. These data indicate that quantities of HCMV DNA in CSF are higher in persons with HCMV-related polyradiculopathy than encephalitis, and that quantitation of HCMV DNA can be useful in monitoring antiviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shinkai
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Spector
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000821:virology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D018792:Encephalitis, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000821:virology; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011128:Polyradiculopathy / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000821:virology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015774:Ganciclovir