title: Impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy on cytomegalovirus viraemia in the absence of specific anti-cytomegalovirus therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  (1) to evaluate the effect of HAART on CMV viraemia in co-infected patients, in the absence of specific anti-CMV therapy; (2) to compare 2 molecular biology techniques for the detection and quantification of CMV-DNA in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present the preliminary data of an ongoing prospective research grant on newly diagnosed HIV seropositives, in a tertiary care hospital, during June 2006- June 2008. Clinical, virological (HIV and CMV viraemia) and immunological (CD4) screening was performed every 3 months. The CMV viraemia was performed by RoboGene Human Cytomegalovirus Quantification kit (aj Roboscreen). We retested all undetectable CMV viremia found in patients with CD4 <50/mmc, by CMV PCR kit (Qiagen Diagnostics). Both PCR reactions were performed on ABI Prism 7000 (Applied Biosystems).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Up to date, our study has included 105 HIV-infected subjects, who were seropositive for anti-CMV IgG antibodies. Average follow-up was 18 months. CMV viraemia was found detectable in 21 cases at first visit and in other 5 at the second visit. 22 cases had CD4 <50/mmc, among which 14 had undetectable CMV viraemia. The results of both molecular biology techniques were widely the same. HAART was prescribed to 86% of the patients; all the patients having detectable CMV viraemia received HAART, but not any specific anti-CMV therapy. Under HAART, all the detectable CMV loads which were retested in time became undetectable at next visits, after a median of 16.5 weeks from the introduction of therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CMV viraemia detection was useful in early diagnosis of asymptomatic CMV infection. As opposed to transplant cases, molecular biology techniques for the detection and quantification of CMV-DNA in HIV-patients have not been standardized yet. In our study, the two kits RoboGene Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) Quantification kit (aj Roboscreen) and CMV PCR kit (Qiagen Diagnostics) were comparable. HAART made the reduction of CMV viral load, without any specific anti-CMV therapy. As in the case of other opportunistic infections, undetectable natural history of CMV infection seemed to have been improved by controlling HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Prof. Dr. Matei Balş National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Raluca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mihăilescu
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arama
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paraschiv
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Streinu-Cercel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oţelea
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Munteanu
authors.forename: Mihaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iosipenco
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiotan
authors.forename: Otilia Elisabeta
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Benea
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mărdărescu
authors.forename: Mihaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rădulescu
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hristea
authors.forename: Rodica
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ungurianu
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Aramă
authors.forename: Anca Streinu
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Cercel
authors.forename: Ruxandra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Călin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Băicuş
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019562:Viral Load