Epstein-barr virus (EBV) in healthy carriers: Distribution of genotypes and 30 bp deletion in latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) oncogene

Fil: Correa, Rita Mariel. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.Fil: Fellner, María Dolores. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.Fil: Alonio, Lidia Virginia. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.Fil: Durand, Karina. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.Fil: Teyssié, Angélica R. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.Fil: Picconi, María Alejandra. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.There are two types of Epstein Barr virus (EBV): EBV-1 and EBV-2, distinguished by genomic polymorphism in the genes encoding the nuclear antigens (EBNA-2, -3A, -3B, -3C). Latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) is an EBV protein with known oncogenic properties. Different variants had been described; among them, a 30 base pair (bp) deletion (del-LMP-1) had been reported in benign and malignant pathologies, but there is little information about its frequency in healthy populations. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of the EBV genotypes and the 30 bp deletion frequency, in EBV healthy carriers from Argentina. Analysis of EBNA-3C and LMP-1 genes were done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by Southern blot hybridization on DNA of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from blood bank donors. EBV-1 was present in 75.9% of samples, EBV-2 in 14.6%, and co-infections with both types in 6.5%. The deleted LMP-1 variant was found in 7.4% of analyzed samples, corresponding 3.2% to deleted variant alone and 4.2% to co-infections with non-deleted form. The non-deleted variant was found in 64.6% whereas in the remaining 28%, no PCR product was detected. These results showed that EBV-1 was the more prevalent type in healthy carriers of Argentina, similar to reports from others countries. A predominance of the non-deleted LMP-1 variant was observed. The presence of co-infections with both types and variants demonstrated that healthy individuals may also harbor multiple EBV infections

Circulating Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in HIV-infected patients and its relation with primary brain lymphoma

Fil: Fellner, María Dolores. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.Fil: Durand, Karina. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.Fil: Correa, Rita Mariel. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.Fil: Redini, Liliana. FUNDAI. Laboratorio de Retrovirus y Virus asociados; Argentina.Fil: Yampolsky, Claudio. Sanatorio Guemes. Servicio de Neurocirugía; Argentina.Fil: Colobraro, Antonio. Instituto FLENI. Servicio de Patología; Argentina.Fil: Sevlever, Gustavo. Instituto FLENI. Servicio de Patología; Argentina.Fil: Teyssié, Angélica R. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.Fil: Benetucci, Jorge. FUNDAI. Laboratorio de Retrovirus y Virus asociados; Argentina.Fil: Picconi, María Alejandra. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.OBJECTIVE To analyze Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) load at different HIV infection stages and its relation with brain lymphoma. DESIGN A cross-sectional study was conducted on 172 HIV-infected individuals: 62 asymptomatic HIV carriers (group A), 30 HIV progressors (group B), 73 AIDS patients (group C), seven AIDS patients with brain lymphoma (group C-BL); and 26 blood donors (group BD) as healthy carriers. EBV load was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and plasma samples using a semi-quantitative PCR method. RESULTS PBMC-EBV levels in HIV-infected patients were higher than in the blood donors (p0.05), while the C-BL group had significantly lower levels (p0.05), while significantly lower levels were found in cases with less than 50 cells/mm(3) (p<0.05). In all HIV-infected patients, plasma-EBV load was lower than, or similar to, PBMC-EBV load, unlike 2/7 HIV-positive brain lymphoma patients. CONCLUSIONS During HIV infection PBMC-EBV load rises in comparison to healthy carriers, but decreases when immunosuppression progresses and CD4+ T cell count becomes <50/mm(3). Circulating EBV is mainly cell-associated in the HIV-infected population. Neither PBMC-EBV nor plasma-EBV loads would be useful to diagnose brain lymphoma in AIDS patients

Circulating Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in HIV-infected patients and its relation with primary brain lymphoma

Fil: Fellner, María Dolores. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.Fil: Durand, Karina. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.Fil: Correa, Rita Mariel. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.Fil: Redini, Liliana. FUNDAI. Laboratorio de Retrovirus y Virus asociados; Argentina.Fil: Yampolsky, Claudio. Sanatorio Guemes. Servicio de Neurocirugía; Argentina.Fil: Colobraro, Antonio. Instituto FLENI. Servicio de Patología; Argentina.Fil: Sevlever, Gustavo. Instituto FLENI. Servicio de Patología; Argentina.Fil: Teyssié, Angélica R. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.Fil: Benetucci, Jorge. FUNDAI. Laboratorio de Retrovirus y Virus asociados; Argentina.Fil: Picconi, María Alejandra. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio Virus Oncogénicos; Argentina.OBJECTIVE To analyze Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) load at different HIV infection stages and its relation with brain lymphoma. DESIGN A cross-sectional study was conducted on 172 HIV-infected individuals: 62 asymptomatic HIV carriers (group A), 30 HIV progressors (group B), 73 AIDS patients (group C), seven AIDS patients with brain lymphoma (group C-BL); and 26 blood donors (group BD) as healthy carriers. EBV load was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and plasma samples using a semi-quantitative PCR method. RESULTS PBMC-EBV levels in HIV-infected patients were higher than in the blood donors (p0.05), while the C-BL group had significantly lower levels (p0.05), while significantly lower levels were found in cases with less than 50 cells/mm(3) (p<0.05). In all HIV-infected patients, plasma-EBV load was lower than, or similar to, PBMC-EBV load, unlike 2/7 HIV-positive brain lymphoma patients. CONCLUSIONS During HIV infection PBMC-EBV load rises in comparison to healthy carriers, but decreases when immunosuppression progresses and CD4+ T cell count becomes <50/mm(3). Circulating EBV is mainly cell-associated in the HIV-infected population. Neither PBMC-EBV nor plasma-EBV loads would be useful to diagnose brain lymphoma in AIDS patients

Epstein Barr virus genotypes and LMP-1 variants in HIV-infected patients

Fil: Correa, Rita Mariel. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: Fellner, María Dolores. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: Durand, Karina. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: Redini, Liliana. Hospital de Enfermedades Infecciosas “Dr. F. Muñiz”; Argentina.Fil: Alonio, Virginia. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: Yampolsky, Claudio. Sanatorio Güemes. Servicio de Neurocirugía; Argentina.Fil: Colobraro, Antonio. Clínica Bazterrica. Servicio Patología; Argentina.Fil: Sevlever, Gustavo. Instituto Fleni. Servicio Patología; Argentina.Fil: Teyssié, Angélica. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Fil: Benetucci, Jorge. Fundación Ayuda al Inmunodeficiente. Laboratorio de Retrovirus y virus asociados; Argentina.Fil: Picconi, María Alejandra. ANLIS Dr.C.G.Malbrán. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentina.Two Epstein Barr virus (EBV) genotypes: EBV-1 and EBV-2 have been described. A 30-bp deletion in latent membrane protein-1 gene (del-LMP-1) has been identified in various pathologies. The aim of this study was to determine EBV genotypes and 30-bp deletion frequency in HIV-infected patients from Argentina. The study was performed on 258 individuals: Cases: 144 HIV-infected patients that included: (a) 7 AIDS patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), (b) 62 AIDS patients, and (c) 75 asymptomatic HIV-infected patients. Controls: 114 HIV-negative individuals. EBV genotypes and variants in LMP-1 gene were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-Southern blot on DNA extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and brain biopsies. In PCNSL, the presence of EBV was confirmed by EBER RNA in situ hybridization, and DNA sequencing of 3' end LMP-l gene of PCR products was performed. In HIV-infected patients, EBV-1 was detected in 48.6%, EBV-2 in 18.8%, and co-infection with both genotypes in 32.6%. In control group, EBV-1 was present in 74.3%, EBV-2 in 12.4%, and co-infection in 13.3%. Del-LMP-1 was found in 44.4% of HIV-infected patients samples (20.7% alone and 23.7% co-infection with non-deleted form) while it was found in 25.3% (6.3% alone and 19% with co-infection) in HIV-negative individuals. In HIV-infected patients EBV-2, co-infection and 30-bp deletion are more prevalent than in control group. In all, PCNSL brain biopsies samples, del-LMP-1 always was detected with EBV-2, but more cases would have to be included to draw definitive conclusions

Human papillomavirus cervical infection in Guarani Indians from the rainforest of Misiones, Argentina

Summary Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) cervical infection in women from the South American Guarani Indian tribe located in the rain forest of Misiones, north-eastern Argentina; a region with a high incidence of cervical carcinoma. Methods: A cross-sectional cytological and HPV screening of sexually active Guarani women from nine Indian settlements was conducted. Demographic data, information about sexual behavior, and gynaecological history were recorded. Fresh cervical specimens from 239 patients were collected, of which 207 were included in this study. Cytology and microbiological detection were carried out by the Papanicolaou and Gram stain methods, respectively. HPV detection and typing were analyzed by PCR and RFLP. Results: Pap smears in 96% of all patients showed an inflammatory pattern. A possible etiologic agent was found in 58% of cases: 52% Trichomonas vaginalis, 35% Gardnerella vaginalis and 13% Candida sp. Seven cases had cytological changes compatible with Low Grade Intraepithelial Lesion (LGSIL), one with High Grade Intraepithelial Lesion (HGSIL) and one in situ cervical cancer. The prevalence for generic HPV infection was 64% (133/207). Genotyping gave a 26% prevalence for HPV types 16/18, 13% for types 6/11 and 30% for other types, with nine mixed infections. Conclusion: This work reports for the first time the prevalence of cervical HPV infection in Guarani women. Nearly all Guarani women had some grade of cervical disease. Generic HPV infection prevalence was elevated (64%), with predominanc