CIRCULATING CMV-INFECTED ENDOTHELIAL CELLS (CCIC) IN AIDS PAITIENTS WITH CMV RELATED SYMPTOMS

OBJECTIVE: Tp assess the frequency of the presence and th with laboratory findings and clinical conditions of CCIC patients with CMV infection. METHODS: CMV infection routine diagnosis (viral isolation and determination of pp65 antigenemia and p72 viremia) was performed on 1737 blood samples (buffy-coat cells) from 450 HIV infected patients. Ficoll separation of mononuclear cells and PCR amplification of a IE1 gene region of CMV was performed on selected cases. RESULTS: CCIC were found in 30 samples from 21 patients: Eleven specimens were positive in the course of anti-CMV therapy. All positive samples were also pp65, p72 and isolation positive. Ficoll separation allowed a greater number of CCIC to be found. PCR was positive in all but one of the CCIC positive samples. DISCUSSION: CCIC were not frequently found; their systematic search in the mononuclear cell fraction could contribute to the understanding of their role.