Human cytomegalovirus UL54 and UL97 mutations for detection of ganciclovir resistance in congenital infection

Prevalent latent human cytomegalovirus genotype b2 in biopsy samples of gastric cancer

Aim: Genotyping and prevalence of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in gastrointestinal tract remains unclear. Objective: Characterization of HCMV and its viral load in samples of patients with gastric cancer (GC) in northeast Iran. Methods: A total of 21 biopsies were collected from patients with GC. HCMV was detected and genotyped using multiplex nested PCR. Quantitative real-time PCR has been used to determine the viral load. Staining was performed to detect viral inclusions. Results: 76.19% of the samples had HCMV genotypic b2 with viral load <0.1 IU/μl. 66.67% of patients were positive for H. pylori. Conclusion: Multiplex nested-PCR method can detect CMV populations with low viral loads in GC biopsies. For the first time, it was determined that the genotype b2 of HCMV is prevalent in the gastrointestinal tract.

Global estimate of phenotypic and genotypic ganciclovir resistance in cytomegalovirus infections among HIV and organ transplant patients; A systematic review and meta-analysis

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV), an opportunistic pathogen belonging to Herpesviridae family, is considered as one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality among wide variety of patients, particularly in transplant recipients and HIV positive patients. As this virus can be resistant to treatment, frequency of CMV in patients who receive organ transplantation and people suffering from AIDS was studied between 1980 and 2019. Medline (via PubMed), Embase, Web of Science, and the Iranian Database were reviewed, and Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (V2.0, Biostat) software analyzed all data. Finally, we used Cochran's Q-statistic to encounter heterogeneity between different studies. Meta-analyses indicated, GCV resistance was 14.1% (95% CI 11.2-17.7); however, in patients suffering from AIDS and organ transplantation were 19.5% (95% CI 14.7-25.4) and 11.4% (95% CI 8.1-15.8), respectively. There were increasing rates in the prevalence of GCV resistance in CMV among transplant recipients, and HIV positive patients. Therefore, evaluation of these refractory infections is beneficial.

Detection of human herpes virus type-6 in patients undergoing hemodialysis

Aim: To investigate the epidemiology of human herpes virus type-6 (HHV-6) among hemodialysis (HD) patients. Materials & methods: DNA was extracted from plasma samples of 149 patients undergoing HD with no history of organ transplantation from 2011 to 2013. Presence of HHV-6 was investigated by using real-time PCR. Results: Diabetes (36.2%) and hypertension (28.8%) were two major factors for HD. The HHV-6 DNA was identified in eight patients (5.37%). Conclusion: This study is one of the few reports of HHV-6 infection among HD patients. In HD patient population, it is critical to improve standards of infection control in dialysis and expand treatment coverage. Furthermore, studies on clinical implications of HHV-6 infection in HD patients are crucial.