Search

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) DNA was amplified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using PCR in 120 HIV-seropos'rtive in- and outpatients who were enrolled in a cohort study between January 1994 and June 1995. Risk factors for HIV infection were homosexuality/bisexuality alone in 64 cases (30 with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and 34 without KS, 4 of whom had KS lesions that appeared during follow-up in the cohort), heterosexual contact alone in 32 cases (among whom 1 woman with KS who was the spouse of a bisexual with KS), and transfusion of blood or blood products alone in 24 cases. Three blood samples at 3–4-month intervals were scheduled for each patient. Twenty-five HIV1-seronegative patients served as controls. A total of 47.1% of homoor bisexual males with KS and 26.7% of homo- or bisexual males without KS had positive HHV8 DNA detection as compared with 21.9% of patients contaminated by heterosexual contact, 8.3% of blood product recipients and 0% of controls. HHV8 DNA detection was intermittent in all but 3 patients according to sequential sampling. Multivariate analysis showed that AIDS-KS was associated with sexual transmission, mainly homo- or bisexual practices and with HHV8 infection assessed by PCR in PBMCs.

We report the results of a study of interaction-induced (I-I) effects on the depolarized Rayleigh scattering (DRS) intensity of fluids of linear molecules. Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics computer simulation, as well as analytical theory, are used to calculate DRS intensities of model fluids designed to represent N2, CO2, and O2 at a set of densities and temperatures. The I-I, or 'collision-induced', polarizability is evaluated using the first order dipole-induced dipole model. The contributions to the intensity from intermolecular pair correlations, cross-correlations between molecular and I-I polarizability, and collision-induced polarizability autocorrelation, are studied. With the aid of the analytical theory, the computer simulation results are analysed in terms of the density dependence of the correction factors Fcc and Fmc, measuring the contributions of triplet and higher intermolecular correlations to collision-induced and cross terms in the intensity. We find that molecular shape, polarizability, and temperature of the fluid can have important effects on the density dependence of the DRS intensity. We also find that the polarizability anisotropy contribution to the I-I polarizability substantially affects the DRS intensity at high densities.

Retroviral reverse transcriptase (RT) is involved in the selection of a specific tRNA primer which initiates proviral DNA minus-strand synthesis. Studies of the interactions between human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RT and primer tRNALys3 have shown that the dihydrouridine (diHU), anticodon, and pseudouridine regions of tRNA are highly protected in the RT-tRNA complex. The CCA 3' end of tRNA is also in close contact with the enzyme during the cDNA initiation step. Using synthetic oligoribonucleotides corresponding to the anticodon and diHU regions, we have previously shown a low but significant inhibition of HIV-1 RT activity. We extend this observation and show that primer tRNA-derived oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) carrying a phosphorothioate (PS) modification are strong inhibitors of HIV-1 RT. The affinity of PS-ODNs for the enzyme was monitored by gel mobility shift electrophoresis. Experiments with HIV-1-infected human cells (MT-2 cells) were performed with the latter ODNs. A PS-ODN corresponding to the 3' end of tRNALys3 (acceptor stem [AS]) was able to inhibit HIV-1 replication. No effect of the other modified ODNs was observed in infected cells. The analysis of HIV-1 RNase H activity in a cell-free system strongly suggests that the inhibitory effect of the PS-AS may be mediated via both a sense and an antisense mechanism.

OBJECTIVE--To evaluate a newly developed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, Amplicor C trachomatis for the detection of C trachomatis in genital samples using cell culture for comparison. SUBJECTS--501 patients (431 women and 70 men) attending an STD clinic in Hôpital Pellegrin (high-risk population) and gynaecological clinics (low-risk population) in Bordeaux, France. METHODS--The genital samples (cervical and urethral) were tested for the presence of C trachomatis using the Amplicor test and using standard cell culture identified by the immunofluorescence test using a monoclonal antibody to C trachomatis. Discrepancies between the results of culture and Amplicor were further analysed by major outer membrane protein gene (omp1)-PCR of the specimens taken in transport media and by direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) staining of elementary bodies in culture transport tubes. RESULTS--After analysis of discrepancies, the revised sensitivity and specificity of PCR were 95.3% and 100% and the positive and negative predictive values were 100% and 99.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION--The present results indicate that the Amplicor assay is rapid, specific and more sensitive than the culture method. This test provides an excellent non-culture method for the detection of C trachomatis in various prevalence populations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]