Human polyomaviruses JC and BK in the urine\ud of Brazilian children and adolescents vertically infected by HIV

The aim of this study was to characterize the urinary excretion of the BK (BKV) and JC (JCV) human polyomavi\ud -\ud ruses in a cohort of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children and adolescents. One hundred and fifty-\ud six patients were enrolled: Group I included 116 HIV-infected children and adolescents [median age = 11.4 years (y);\ud range 1-22 y]; Group II included 40 non-HIV-infected healthy controls (median age = 11.37 y; range 7-16 y). Single\ud urine samples from both groups were screened for the presence of JCV and BKV DNA by polymerase chain reaction\ud at enrolment. The overall rate of JCV and BKV urinary excretion was found to be 24.4% and 40.4%, respectively\ud (n = 156). Group I had urinary excretion of JCV and BKV in 27.6% and 54.3% of subjects, respectively. In contrast,\ud Group II showed positive results for JCV in 17.5% of subjects and for BKV in 12.5% of subjects (p Pearson JCV =\ud 0.20; p Pearson BKV < 0.0001). In Group I, there was no association between JCV/BKV shedding and age, gender\ud or CD4 values. Patients with an HIV viral load < 50 copies/mL had a lower excretion of BKV (p < 0.001) and a trend\ud of lower JCV excretion (p = 0.07). One patient in Group I (1/116, 0.9%) showed clinical and radiological features\ud consistent with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, suggesting that children with HIV/polyomavirus coin\ud -\ud fection should be kept under surveillance.Financial support: FAPESP (07/06687-7

Chronic meningococcemia in a vertically HIV-infected adolescent

Chronic meningococcemia is a rare manifestation of meningococcal disease, characterized by a period of more than one week of intermittent or continuous fever, arthralgia and skin lesions without meningitis. It can occur both in previously healthy and immunocompromised patients. The gold standard for the diagnosis is culture isolation of Neisseria meningitidis in sterile material. We describe a case of a vertically HIV-infected adolescent with chronic meningococcal disease

Human polyomaviruses JC and BK in the urine of Brazilian children and adolescents vertically infected by HIV

The aim of this study was to characterize the urinary excretion of the BK (BKV) and JC (JCV) human polyomaviruses in a cohort of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children and adolescents. One hundred and fifty-six patients were enrolled: Group I included 116 HIV-infected children and adolescents [median age = 11.4 years (y); range 1-22 y]; Group II included 40 non-HIV-infected healthy controls (median age = 11.37 y; range 7-16 y). Single urine samples from both groups were screened for the presence of JCV and BKV DNA by polymerase chain reaction at enrolment. The overall rate of JCV and BKV urinary excretion was found to be 24.4% and 40.4%, respectively (n = 156). Group I had urinary excretion of JCV and BKV in 27.6% and 54.3% of subjects, respectively. In contrast, Group II showed positive results for JCV in 17.5% of subjects and for BKV in 12.5% of subjects (p Pearson JCV = 0.20; p Pearson BKV < 0.0001). In Group I, there was no association between JCV/BKV shedding and age, gender or CD4 values. Patients with an HIV viral load < 50 copies/mL had a lower excretion of BKV (p < 0.001) and a trend of lower JCV excretion (p = 0.07). One patient in Group I (1/116, 0.9%) showed clinical and radiological features consistent with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, suggesting that children with HIV/polyomavirus coinfection should be kept under surveillance