Human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B genotypes in blood of AIDS patients: Lack of association with either the viral DNA load in leukocytes or presence of retinitis

It has been suggested that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) glycoprotein B (gB) genotypes could be used as a marker for viral virulence in patients with A IDS. The present study was designed to evaluate a possible association betw een specific gB genotypes, the presence of HCMV retinitis, and the HCMV vir al load. Fifty-four blood samples were obtained from 54 HIV- and HCMV-infec ted patients. Twenty-seven of these patients were asymptomatic for HCMV, wh ereas the other 27 patients had been diagnosed recently with HCMV retinitis . HCMV gB genotyping was carried out by using restriction enzyme analysis o f PCR-amplified PMNL extracts. Determination of the HCMV viral load in the same specimens was carried out using a quantitative-PCR. HCMV gB genotype 2 was found more frequently than other genotypes in PCR-amplified polymorpho nuclear leukocytes (PMNL) of patients with AIDS (P < 0.05) but not more fre quently in samples from patients with HCMV retinitis. No significant associ ation was found between any HCMV gB genotypes and the viral load in blood. In conclusion, the actual HCMV gB genotyping system using PMNL provides no additional benefit over the viral load in blood for identification of HIV-i nfected subjects at risk of HCMV disease. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.