Third International Congress Drug Therapy in HIV Infection 3-7 November 1996 Glasgow, UK

DOES THE MEASUREMENT OF CYTOMEGALOVIRUS (CMV) DNA CONCENTRATIONS USING THE DIGENE HYBRID CAPTURE ASSAY PREDICT RESPONSE TO THERAPY?

C. Aitken. C, W. Barrett-Muir, S. Hill, D. Jeffries, J. Breuer, J. Parkin
Department of Virology, St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK.

Int Cong Drug Therapy HIV 1996 Nov 3-7;3:Abstract No. OP3.2
AIDS 1996, Vol. 10 (Suppl. 2);S11

PURPOSE OF STUDY: To determine CMV viral load in plasma from HIV+ patients with newly diagnosed or relapsing CMV disease. To monitor the changes following treatment with ganciclovir or foscarnet.

METHODS: 23 patients were enrolled. 41 samples were from 4 patients with disseminated CMV disease and 109 samples from 19 patients with retinitis only. Samples were taken at regular intervals, the duration of follow up varied from 2-28 weeks. Samples were analysed using a signal amplification hybridisation method. "Digene Hybrid capture assay" (Murex) and a semi-quantitative in-house PCR. The results were compared against a standard shell vial assay.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS: 18/41 samples from patients with disseminated CMV were positive by hybrid capture and all were positive by PCR. The concentration of CMV DNA ranged between 6.1 × 10³ genomes/ml -67.4 × 10⁴ genomes/ml. Following commencement of therapy, the level of DNA gradually fell to undetectable levels. This coincided with an improvement in the patient's condition. After commencing therapy, DNA remained detectable for 10-14 days using the hybrid capture and 14-21 days using PCR. The shell vial assay was negative within 7 days. Recurrence of symptoms coincided with increasing levels of detectable CMV DNA. All samples from patients with retinitis remained negative.

CONCLUSION: The hybrid capture assay offered an easy method of measuring CMV DNA levels directly on clinical samples. It was sensitive enough to show variations in load following therapy and therefore may be useful in predicting those patients who are likely to respond or relapse.

Presenting author:

1996-11-03
OP3.2

Originally published in AIDS Volume 10, Supplement 2 and hosted with permission of the publisher Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 250 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8RD, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7981 0700 Fax: +44 (0) 7981 0701

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