title: Improved detection of JC virus DNA in cerebrospinal fluid for diagnosis of AIDS-related progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.
abstract: Several methods to increase the sensitivity of JC virus (JCV) DNA detection in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for a noninvasive diagnosis of AIDS-related progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) were investigated. When CSF collected at clinical presentation was tested, JCV DNA was detected in 8 of 19 patients with PML by standard PCR (sensitivity, 42%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 21 to 66%) and in 14 of 19 by nested PCR (sensitivity, 74% [95% CI, 49 to 90%]; P = 0.014 [McNemar's test]. For multiple serial CSF samples, standard PCR yielded JCV DNA for 11 of 19 PML patients (sensitivity, 58% [95% CI, 34 to 79%]) and nested PCR yielded JCV DNA for 17 of 19 patients (sensitivity, 90% [95% CI, 66 to 98%]; P = 0.014). The majority of the false-negative samples were found to contain PCR inhibitors. Standard PCR did not detect JCV DNA in CSF from any of the 83 AIDS patients with other diagnosis (100% specificity [95% CI, 95 to 100%]); JCV DNA was found in CSF from one control patient by nested PCR (99% specificity [95% CI, 93 to 100%]).
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Catholic University, Rome Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Luca
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cingolani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linzalone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ammassari
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murri
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Giancola
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maiuro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antinori
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000235:genetics; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007577:JC Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007968:Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014773:Virology / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral