Herpesvirus infection of eye and brain in HIV infected patients

Citation
Rf. Miller et al., Herpesvirus infection of eye and brain in HIV infected patients, SEX TRANS I, 76(4), 2000, pp. 282-286
Citations number
27
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Clinical Immunolgy & Infectious Disease","da verificare
Journal title
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS
ISSN journal
1368-4973 → ACNP
Volume
76
Issue
4
Year of publication
2000
Pages
282 - 286
Database
ISI
SICI code
1368-4973(200008)76:4<282:HIOEAB>2.0.ZU;2-B
Abstract
Objectives: To compare histological with genome detection methods for diagn osis of herpesvirus infection in eye and brain of HIV infected patients und ergoing necropsy and to correlate these findings with both antemortem clini cal findings and postmortem evidence of extraocular herpesvirus infection, especially in the CNS. Methods: A prospective study of 31 consecutive HIV infected patients underg oing necropsy. In life 11 patients had been assessed by an ophthalmologist because of ocular symptoms. Ocular and brain samples were examined for herp esviruses by conventional histological methods and by nested polymerase cha in reaction (nPCR) for all eight human herpesviruses; evidence of extraneur al herpesvirus infection was sought by histological methods. Results: Although only 12 out of 31 patients (39%) had antemortem clinical evidence of ocular or CNS herpesvirus associated disease, herpesviruses wer e detected by nPCR in eye and brain from 26 (84%) patients; six patients ha d more than one herpesvirus infection. There was concordance between ocular and CNS findings in 15 of 19 patients (79%) with CMV infection. 17 of 31 p atients (55%) had extraocular or CNS CMV infection at necropsy. Genome dete ction using nPCR was superior to histological methods for diagnosis of ocul ar and CNS herpesvirus infection. Conclusion: Herpesvirus infection of eye and brain was a frequent finding a t necropsy in this group of HIV infected patients; almost a fifth were co-i nfected by more than one herpesvirus. This was more than twice the incidenc e predicted from clinical evidence before death. Genome detection using nPC R was superior to histological methods for diagnosis of ocular and CNS herp esvirus infection.