title: HIV-2 diagnosis and quantification in high-risk patients.
abstract: Current diagnostic assays for HIV-1 do not always test for the presence of HIV-2 in the United States. We present the case of a patient from Cape Verde, who was admitted to our hospital with rapidly deteriorating neurological function and multiple white matter lesions on MRI likely secondary to progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Initially, the patient had a positive EIA for HIV, but a negative HIV-1 Western Blot and no viral load detected on a branched-DNA assay. A repeat viral load by reverse transcriptase methodology (RT-DNA) detected 121,000 copies and an HIV-2 Western Blot was positive. The case highlights an extremely rare presentation of HIV-2 with severe neurological disease. We discuss the different tests available for the diagnosis and monitoring of HIV-2 in the United States.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown, University and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI 02903, USA. pchan@lifespan.org
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Wakeman
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Flanigan
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cu-Uvin
authors.forename: Erna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kojic
authors.forename: Rami
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kantor