HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS GENOTYPE DETECTION IN SALIVA OF HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

Objectives: The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a beta herpesvirus, distributed worldwide and infects most individuals. In immunocompetent individuals the infection is usually asymptomatic, however in patients with severe immunosuppression may cause severe complications such as pneumonitis, colitis, retinitis and neutropenia. It is known that there are genotypes of CMV and these correlate with the clinical course that may occur in immunosuppressed patients. Objectives: To establish the HCMV genotype present in saliva samples obtained from three patients receiving allogeneic umbilical cord transplant and verify the existence of mixed infections.
Methods: Genotyping was done in 4 HCMV DNA positive patients, using a multiplex nested PCR assay consisting of an amplification of a conserved region of the gB gene and subsequent re-amplification using primers specific for regions of each genotype, producing different sized amplicons.
Results: gB2 genotype was detected in two patients, in a third patient DNA of two genotypes (gB1 and gB3) was simultaneously found; however in the fourth patient it was not possible virus genotyping.
Conclusions: A multiplex nested PCR genotyping method for CMV was standardized using DNA obtained from patients’ saliva. Also, was possible to detect a sample with more than one genotype.