Human cytomegalovirus infection among patients living with AIDS in a tertiary level hospital in India.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Detecting the prevalence of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) coinfection in HIV-infected individuals attending a tertiary care hospital in Delhi by using 3 laboratory tests namely pp65 antigenemia assay, CMV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and immunoglobulin M (IgM) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for anti-CMV antibody. DESIGN: HIV seropositive patients with CD4 count < or = 100 cells/mm(3) were included as cases and HIV-negative healthy individuals as controls. Blood samples were collected from all participants and 3 tests were performed. METHODS: pp65 antigenemia assay and IgM ELISA were performed by commercially available kits; PCR was performed by an in-house nested PCR method. RESULTS: In all, 7.1%, 5.7%, and 2.9% were positive for pp65 antigenemia, CMV DNA, and IgM antibody against CMV, respectively. On the basis of pp65 and/or PCR positivity, it can be said that active CMV coinfection was present in 8.57% of the cases. CONCLUSION: In the post-antiretroviral therapy (ART) era, CMV coinfection in HIV-infected patients has significantly declined.