Borna disease virus RNA in immunocompromised patients in southwestern France.
Borna disease virus (BDV) is a neurotropic RNA virus with a wide host range. Human infections, although controversial, have been described in Europe, Asia, and the United States. The present study investigated the existence of BDV infections in immunocompromised human beings, namely, 82 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and 80 therapeutically immunosuppressed patients. BDV p40 RNAs were detected in peripheral white blood cells with reverse transcription-nested PCR and hybridization in, respectively, 11 (13.41%) and 1 (1.25%) of the two groups of patients. BDV p24 RNAs were identified in only one of those. BDV RNA was detected in the absence of any neuropsychiatrical illness, suggesting that BDV infections may occur in asymptomatic carriers. The severity and particularity of cellular immunosuppression could explain the significantly increased detection of BDV RNA in HIV-infected patients.
Cotto
Emmanuelle
E
Laboratoire de Virologie, Université Bordeaux 2, and Centre Hospitalier Régional de Bordeaux, France. emmanuelle.cotto@viro.u-bordeaux2.fr
Neau
Didier
D
Cransac-Neau
Martine
M
Auriacombe
Marc
M
Pellegrin
Jean-Luc
JL
Ragnaud
Jean-Marie
JM
Fillet
Anne-Marie
AM
Belnard
Magali
M
Fleury
Hervé
H
Lafon
Marie-Edith
ME
D001483:Base Sequence; D001890:Borna Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D001891:Borna disease virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017931:DNA Primers; D005602:France; D005843:Geography; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
D017931:DNA Primers; D012367:RNA, Viral