title: Detection of lymphotropic herpesvirus DNA by polymerase chain reaction in cerebrospinal fluid of AIDS patients with neurological disease.
abstract: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 49 acquired immunodefficiency disease syndrome (AIDS) patients with a central nervous system (CNS) disease were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to evaluate the association between the positivity for cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and clinical diagnosis of a CNS disease. Frequency and clinical relevance of detection of DNA of human herpesviruses 6 (HHV-6), 7 (HHV-7) and 8 (HHV-8) were also determined. DNA of one or more of the following viruses was found in 26 of 49 patients (53%): CMV in 16 (33%), EBV in 13 (27%), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) in 2 (4%), human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) in 1 (2%), and human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) in 1 (2%). The CMV detection was significantly associated with encephalitis and peripheral neuropathy (7/16 vs. 2/33, p = 0.003), while EBV with primary CNS lymphoma (P-CNSL) (8/13 vs. 0/36, p < 0.0001). HHV-6 DNA was found in CSF of two patients with neuroradiological features suggestive of cerebral lesions. HHV-8 or HHV-7 DNA was detected in the CSF of patients with unexplained neurological symptoms. This study confirms that the PCR analysis of CSF is a valid tool for the diagnosis of neurological diseases associated with CMV and EBV. On the other hand, HHV-6, HHV-7 and HHV-8, instead, were rarely detected in CSF of AIDS patients and have certainly no correlation with the CNS disease found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Pathology, Medical Biotechnology, Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, University of Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy. broccolo.francesco@hsr.it
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Broccolo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iuliano
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Careddu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trovato
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lico
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Blanc
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mazzotta
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ceccherini-Nelli
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000821:virology*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D018792:Encephalitis, Viral / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016199:Herpesvirus 7, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016483:Lymphoma, AIDS-Related / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral