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Search for human herpesvirus 6 and human cytomegalovirus in bronchoalveolar lavage from patients with human immunodeficiency virus‐1 and respiratory disorders
Author(s) -
Portolani Marinella,
Fabio Giuliana,
Pecorari Monica,
Pietrosemoli Paola,
Meacci Marisa,
Sabbatini Anna Maria,
Cermelli Claudio,
De Rienzo Bruno
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(199602)48:2<179::aid-jmv10>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - bronchoalveolar lavage , human cytomegalovirus , virology , polymerase chain reaction , virus , immunology , medicine , cytomegalovirus , respiratory disease , respiratory system , herpesviridae , lung , viral disease , betaherpesvirinae , biology , gene , biochemistry
Virus isolation and viral DNA detection by the polymerase chain reaction were used to investigate the presence of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV‐6) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in bronchoalveolar lavage from 34 human immunodeficiency virus‐1 (HIV‐1)‐infected patients with respiratory disorders. The aim was to assess the presence of reactivated HHV‐6 in lung tissues for a subsequent evaluation of the frequency of virus involvement in respiratory clinical manifestations in the course of HIV‐1 infection. Bronchoalveolar lavage samples were tested for the presence of HCMV, as a routine investigation within a protocol monitoring opportunistic infections in symptomatic HIV‐1 patients. Whereas HCMV DNA was detected by the polymerase chain reaction in 12 bronchoalveolar lavage specimens, 10 of which were also positive for virus isolation, all samples were negative for HHV‐6 by both virological procedures. The HHV‐6 DNA finding in bronchoalveolar lavage from an HIV‐1‐seronegative patient with renal carcinoma, investigated accidentally together with the bronchoalveolar lavage specimens from HIV‐1 seropositive patients, stressed the HHV‐6 polymerase chain reaction‐negative results in the bronchoalveolar lavage samples under study. It is concluded that the lung may be a target organ for HCMV infection in HIV‐1‐seropositive patients affected by respiratory symptoms but that this does not seem to be the case for HHV‐6. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.