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The Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)-DNA level was determined in samples from 71 patients with Kaposi sarcoma (KS), 28 patients with multicentric Castleman disease (MCD), and 8 patients with primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). KSHV-DNA levels were higher in patients with active KS or MCD than in those with KS or MCD in remission. Among patients with active disease, the highest KSHV-DNA levels were observed in effusion fluid samples from patients with PEL (7.2 log(10) copies/150,000 cells), followed by blood samples from patients with MCD and PEL (4.86 and 3.83 log(10) copies/150,000 cells, respectively), and the lowest levels were observed in blood samples from patients with KS (2.63 log(10) copies/150,000 cells). Determining the KSHV-DNA level may be useful in diagnosing KSHV-associated disease and for following up patients with KS when the development of MCD or PEL is suspected. Copyright © 2007 Infectious Diseases Society of America [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

summary. The performance of the recently developed, standardized direct sequencing assay for hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotyping [TRUGENETM HCV 5′-NC (noncoding)] was assessed in comparison with the reverse hybridization-based assay INNO-LIPA HCV II. Both assays allow HCV genotyping starting from amplification products generated by the diagnostic Roche AMPLICOR HCV test. HCV amplicons from 205 patients were used for this study: 34 were tested prospectively by both methods, while 171 had been stored at -20 °C for up to 2 years after LiPA genotyping. The TRUGENE procedure failed to determine a genotype in six low-titered samples (3.5 ± 0.3 log UI/mL vs. 5.2 ± 0.5 UI/mL for typable samples). Type and subtype could be determined by sequencing for 199 samples (97%). Among them, five were considered as coinfections by the LiPA method. Three LiPA patterns suggesting type 1 and 4 coinfection were not supported by sequence analysis while one 1a/2b and one 1a/3a coinfection was backed up by direct sequencing. For the remaining 194 samples, type assignment was concordant in 100% of the cases. LiPA subtyping was available for 162 samples (83.5%). Sub-typing results concurred in 128 cases (79%). NS5B sequencing of discrepant samples underscored the limitation of the 5′-noncoding region (NCR) in correct subtype assignment. In conclusion, the TRUGENE HCV 5′-NC genotyping kit appeared to be a specific and reliable method that can be used in the current indication of HCV genotyping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which described the distribution of JC virus genotypes in France, and investigated the correlations between genotypes and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. JC virus genotype distribution in urine and in cerebral samples; Materials and methods; Results.

Carcinomas with lymphoid stroma arising in non‐liver-organs have a better prognosis than other carcinomas and may be associated with Epstein–Barr virus. We determined the frequency, characteristics and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinomas with lymphoid stroma. Histology of the livers of 162 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, who underwent an orthotopic liver transplantation, was reviewed independently by three pathologists. Hepatocellular carcinoma with lymphoid stroma was diagnosed when all tumour samples contained more lymphocytes than tumour cells. Epstein–Barr virus was detected by in-situ hybridization and by polymerase chain reaction. Five patients (3.6%) were classified as hepatocellular carcinomas with lymphoid stroma. All patients were males. Cirrhosis was present in four/five patients. Serum alpha-fetoprotein levels were normal. Inter-observer histological reproducibility was good. Tumour cells did not contain Epstein–Barr virus. The five patients were alive without tumour at three years, although two of them had adverse prognostic factors at the time of transplantation (more than one tumour with a diameter ≥40 mm). Only one patient had tumour recurrence, but he survived 7.6 years post‐transplantation. The 5-year survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with lymphoid stroma was better than that of the patients with other types of hepatocellular carcinomas (P = 0.04). : Hepatocellular carcinoma with lymphoid stroma should be considered as a distinct clinicopathological and prognostic entity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virus load in pregnancy and its relation to mother-to-child human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission were studied prospectively. From 1989 to 1994, 320 HIV-infected women from 18 centers had plasma samples stored. Among women not receiving antiretroviral therapy, the polymerase chain reaction RNA level was 3.6 log at delivery, and 15% of women had levels below the detection limit. There was no variation during pregnancy. Women born in sub-Saharan Africa had lower RNA levels, although their CD4 cell distribution did not differ from that in other women. Among 236 evaluable children, 19% ± 5% were infected. Transmission occurred in 12% of cases (confidence interval, 5%–22%) with < 1000 copies/mL versus 29% ± 10% of those with >10,000 copies/mL (P < .02). Maternal virus load appears strongly related to HIV transmission to the child. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of IgG and IgM antibodies against Mycoplasma pneumoniae, performed with commercial antigen and reagents, is compared with the complement fixation test (CF) in a serological study of 209 human sera. Concordant results were usually obtained by CF test and by IgG ELISA in sera from patients with recent M pneumoniae infection. In contrast, when used for an immunological survey of a general population, approximately 27% of the sera negative in the CF test were positive for IgG by the ELISA, and sera with low CF titres were found to have a broad range of IgG titre by the ELISA. This may be due to the greater sensitivity of the ELISA technique and/or to different types of antibody measured by both tests. IgM was detected by ELISA in sera from all patients with recent M pneumoniae infection diagnosed on the basis of clinical findings and by CF assay. Occasionally false-positive IgM antibodies were due to rheumatoid factor (RF); this potential interference necessitates routine testing of IgM antibody positive sera for RF. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]