title: Analysis of JC virus genotype distribution and transcriptional control region rearrangements in human immunodeficiency virus-positive progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy patients with and without highly active antiretroviral treatment.
abstract: After the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the incidence of many acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related opportunistic infections, but not of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), has been dramatically decreased. However, it has been shown that about 50% of the HAART-treated PML patients had a significantly prolonged (>6 months) survival time, in comparison to the short (<6 months) survival time of the classical form of PML. In order to verify if a particular genotype or genomic rearrangements of JC virus (JCV) could affect the clinical course of PML, the authors performed nucleotide sequencing of 25 virion protein (VP1) and 18 transcriptional control region (TCR) DNA amplified in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of HAART-untreated PML patients, of 17 HAART-treated PML patients, and in the urine of 23 healthy individuals. In nontreated PML patients, 52% and 44% of amplified JCV were respectively type 1 and type 2, whereas in HAART-treated PML patients, 59% of the amplified JCV were type 1, 23% type 2, and 18% type 4, without differences between long and short survivors. In both groups, the amplified TCR had unique and extensive rearrangements, whereas archetype TCR without rearrangements was detected in all the healthy subjects and in the CSF of two long-survivor PML patients. The data obtained indicate that the introduction of HAART has induced changes in JCV genotype distribution and probably reduced the rate of rearrangements of TCR region among PML patients.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biology, Don C Gnocchi Foundation ONLUS, IRCCS, Milan, Italy. pferrante@dongnocchi.it
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferrante
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Delbue
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pagani
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mancuso
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marzocchetti
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Borghi
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maserati
authors.forename: Arabella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bestetti
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cinque
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015329:Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007577:JC Virus / Q000235:genetics*; D007968:Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; C062481:VP1 protein, polyomavirus