title: Human polyomavirus 6 DNA in the cerebrospinal fluid of an HIV-positive patient with leukoencephalopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leukoencephalopathies in HAART-treated, HIV-positive patients include progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a result of lytic infection oligodendrocytes by JC polyomavirus (JCV), and another form characterized by the absence of JCV genome in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test the potential viral etiology of JCV-negative leukoencephalopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  CSF was collected from 43 HIV-positive patients with MRI suggestive of leukoencephalopathies. DNA was isolated and real-time PCR assays for neurotropic viruses (Herpes Simplex Viruses 1/2, Varicella Zoster Virus, Epstein Barr Virus, Human Cytomegalovirus, Human Herpesvirus 6, JCV and HIV) were conducted. CSF from 14 non-reactive cases were subjected to random nucleic acid amplification, deep sequencing, and in silico search for viral sequences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  JCV genome was detected in the CSF of 19/43 PML patients, HIV genome in the CSF of 5 PML patients including 2 JCV negative patients, and no viruses were detected in 22 patients. Human Polyomavirus 6 (HPyV6) DNA was detected by deep sequencing in one JCV-negative leukoencephalopathy CSF sample.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HPyV6 DNA was detected in CSF of a case of demyelinating disease. HPyV6 has not been previously reported in CSF or associated with any disease. Demonstrating a causative role will require further studies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Translational Medicine, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milano, Italy. Electronic address: serena.delbue@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Delbue
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Translational Medicine, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Elia
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Translational Medicine, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Signorini
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Translational Medicine, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Ramona
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bella
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Translational Medicine, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Villani
authors.affiliation: Department of General Neurology, IRCCS National Neurological Institute C. Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marchioni
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Translational Medicine, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferrante
authors.affiliation: Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.
authors.forename: Tung Gia
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Phan
authors.affiliation: Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Delwart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D056784:Leukoencephalopathies / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral
keywords: Cerebrospinal fluid; Deep sequencing; Leukoencephalopathy; Polyomaviruses