Prognostic value of JC virus load in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

J Infect Dis. 1998 Dec;178(6):1816-20. doi: 10.1086/314496.

Abstract

JC virus (JCV) load was determined by using quantitative polymerase chain reaction in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 12 patients with AIDS-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and compared with clinical outcome. JCV loads varied widely (3-7 log10 JCV equivalents/mL of CSF) and were apparently not related to absolute CD4 cell counts or CSF and plasma human immunodeficiency virus type 1 loads. A significant correlation was observed between JCV load and survival time (Spearman's rank correlation, -0.83; P<. 01). Moreover, CSF JCV load decreased and then became undetectable in 1 PML patient receiving cidofovir treatment, and this was associated with clinical improvement. These results show that CSF JCV load may be useful as a prognostic parameter and in monitoring the effectiveness of anti-JCV therapies in PML patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AIDS Dementia Complex / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • AIDS Dementia Complex / physiopathology
  • AIDS Dementia Complex / virology*
  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / cerebrospinal fluid
  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / drug therapy
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • Cidofovir
  • Cytosine / analogs & derivatives
  • Cytosine / therapeutic use
  • DNA Primers
  • DNA Probes
  • DNA, Viral / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Female
  • HIV-1 / growth & development
  • HIV-1 / isolation & purification*
  • Humans
  • JC Virus / isolation & purification*
  • Male
  • Organophosphonates*
  • Organophosphorus Compounds / therapeutic use
  • Papillomavirus Infections / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Papillomavirus Infections / drug therapy
  • Papillomavirus Infections / etiology
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Prognosis
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Tumor Virus Infections / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Tumor Virus Infections / drug therapy
  • Tumor Virus Infections / etiology
  • Viral Load

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • DNA Primers
  • DNA Probes
  • DNA, Viral
  • Organophosphonates
  • Organophosphorus Compounds
  • Cytosine
  • Cidofovir