title: Human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B genotypes in blood of AIDS patients: lack of association with either the viral DNA load in leukocytes or presence of retinitis.
abstract: It has been suggested that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) glycoprotein B (gB) genotypes could be used as a marker for viral virulence in patients with AIDS. The present study was designed to evaluate a possible association between specific gB genotypes, the presence of HCMV retinitis, and the HCMV viral load. Fifty-four blood samples were obtained from 54 HIV- and HCMV-infected patients. Twenty-seven of these patients were asymptomatic for HCMV, whereas the other 27 patients had been diagnosed recently with HCMV retinitis. HCMV gB genotyping was carried out by using restriction enzyme analysis of PCR-amplified PMNL extracts. Determination of the HCMV viral load in the same specimens was carried out using a quantitative-PCR. HCMV gB genotype 2 was found more frequently than other genotypes in PCR-amplified polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) of patients with AIDS (P < 0.05) but not more frequently in samples from patients with HCMV retinitis. No significant association was found between any HCMV gB genotypes and the viral load in blood. In conclusion, the actual HCMV gB genotyping system using PMNL provides no additional benefit over the viral load in blood for identification of HIV-infected subjects at risk of HCMV disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology and Research Center in Infectious Diseases, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université Laval, Québec City, Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Handfield
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toma
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lalonde
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bergeron
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boivin
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000821:virology*; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017726:Cytomegalovirus Retinitis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C040495:glycoprotein B, Simplexvirus