HIV-2 infection in Israel: a new epidemic?

AIDS may be caused by two different retroviruses, HIV-1 and HIV-2. Hitherto only HIV-1 has been reported in Israel. We recently discovered HIV-2 as a solitary pathogen in the blood of two foreign workers from West Africa. In view of the relative ease of travel to Israel, it is essential to perform screening for both HIV viruses in all subjects with an enhanced risk, including visitors from countries with a high incidence of HIV-1 or HIV-2 infection and their contacts.

Detection of CMV-DNA in cells from peritoneal fluid of IPD/CAPD patients by polymerase chain reaction.

Documented viral peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis patients is rare, although up to 20% of all cases are culture negative (non-fungal, non-bacterial). CMV-infected peritoneal cells may serve as a reservoir for reinfection and/or reactivation of CMV after renal transplantation. CMV-Polymerase Chain Reaction (CMV-PCR) amplification analysis identified CMV-DNA in cells from the peritoneal dialysate of 8 patients (3 culture negative peritonitis from a total of 5 examined) and 5 asymptomatics) out of 17 potential kidney transplant recipients (6 on IPD 16.6 +/- 6 months, range 10-29 months; 11 on CAPD 28.1 +/- 25 months, range 2-81 months). Serum titers (10/17 patients analyzed) of anti-CMV IgG antibodies ranged from < 1:20 to 1:320 (no correlation with CMV-DNA) while anti-CMV IgM antibodies were undetectable. Detection of CMV specific sequences in peritoneal cells in peritoneal dialysis patients by the PCR assay is sensitive (amplification of a 133 bp immediate early CMV gene sequence allows detection of 10 CMV infected cells in a background of 10(5) uninfected peritoneal cells), rapid (1 day visual, 3 days with confirmation by Southern hybridization), specific (no amplification of human embryo and kidney cell DNA, or HSV, EBV, or VZV infected cells) and is non-invasive in IPD/CAPD patients since no additional invasive technique is required.