       Document 0672
 DOCN  M9640672
 TI    PCR detection of JC virus DNA in brain tissue from patients with and
       without progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.
 DT    9604
 AU    Ferrante P; Caldarelli-Stefano R; Omodeo-Zorini E; Vago L; Boldorini R;
       Costanzi G; Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Milan,
       Italy.
 SO    J Med Virol. 1995 Nov;47(3):219-25. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96129548
 AB    Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating
       disease of the central nervous system, which is thought to be a result
       of the reactivation of JC virus (JCV), a human polyomavirus. The disease
       occurs in individuals with immunosuppression and in recent years there
       has been an increase in PML cases due to AIDS. A nested polymerase chain
       reaction (n-PCR) was employed to detect JCV and BK virus (BKV) DNA in
       brain tissue collected postmortem from 28 AIDS patients with PML and
       from 13 patients without PML, but with other diagnoses, including solid
       tumors, Alzheimer's disease, thromboembolism, myocardial infarction and
       acute cerebrovascular diseases. All 28 brain specimens from the patients
       with PML were positive for JCV DNA when tested by n-PCR and three of the
       latter were also positive for BKV DNA. These results were confirmed by
       an enzyme restriction analysis and a DNA hybridization assay.
       Interestingly, in this study, JCV DNA was also found in 6 brain tissue
       specimens from 4 subjects with diseases unrelated to PML or AIDS. All
       the brain specimens from the control group were negative for BKV DNA.
       The results confirm that the n-PCR is a useful tool for PML diagnosis.
       The presence of JCV DNA in the brain tissue of patients without PML is
       particularly important since it indicates that JCV could be latent in
       the brains of immunocompetent individuals. Moreover, detection of
       simultaneous presence of JCV and BKV in the brain tissue of the patients
       with PML demonstrates that BKV may also infect the human brain without
       causing any apparent neurological disease.
 DE    Adult  AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/PATHOLOGY/*VIROLOGY  Base
       Sequence  Brain/PATHOLOGY/*VIROLOGY  DNA, Viral/*ANALYSIS  Female  Human
       Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal/COMPLICATIONS/
       PATHOLOGY/*VIROLOGY  Male  Middle Age  Molecular Sequence Data
       Polymerase Chain Reaction  Polyomavirus hominis 1/GENETICS/*ISOLATION &
       PURIF  Polyomavirus hominis 2/GENETICS/*ISOLATION & PURIF  Restriction
       Mapping  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

