In situ hybridization for cytomegalovirus DNA in AIDS patients.

Infection by cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The authors studied the distribution of CMV in 4 patients with AIDS using a commercially available, biotin-labeled CMV DNA probe for in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining for the detection of CMV antigen in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. The sensitivity and specificity of the hybridization procedure was demonstrated by appropriate controls. The immunohistochemical test for the detection of CMV antigen in routine histologic sections was less sensitive than the in situ hybridization method. CMV DNA was detected not only in cytomegalic inclusion cells, but also in nuclei and cytoplasm of histologically normal-appearing cells such as endothelial cells, pneumocytes, hepatocytes, biliary epithelium, gastrointestinal epithelium, Langerhans islet cells, acinar and duct epithelium of pancreas, adrenal cortical and medullary cells, and prostate epithelium. In addition, CMV DNA, but not CMV antigen, was found in polymorphonuclear leukocytes. These cells may serve as intermediate host or reservoir of CMV and may transmit posttransfusion CMV infection. In situ hybridization on routine histologic sections with a biotinylated CMV DNA probe is a rapid, sensitive, and specific method for diagnostic and experimental pathology.

Correlation of polyalbumin receptors with hepatitis B surface antigen polypeptides in human sera.

The molecular nature of the association between hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), polymerized human serum albumin receptors (pHSA-R), and HBsAg polypeptides is controversial. Therefore, we studied HBsAg, HBeAg, and pHSA-R by radioimmunoassay in sera of 27 patients with acute or chronic hepatitis B virus infection. In addition, the HBsAg polypeptides were demonstrated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by silver staining and immunoblot analysis. As a group, HBeAg-positive sera contained significantly more HBsAg and higher pHSA-R activity than HBeAg-negative sera. At a given amount of HBsAg, pHSA-R activity was significantly higher in HBeAg-positive sera than in HBeAg-negative sera. However, there was no correlation between the presence or absence of a particular HBsAg polypeptide and pHSA-R activity, suggesting that posttranscriptional events such as glycosylation may modulate pHSA-R activity associated with native HBsAg.