Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with an increased risk for human herpesviruses (HHVs) and their related diseases. Methods for limiting the transmission of HHVs require a better understanding of the prevalence and infectiousness of oral HHVs in HIV-infected patients. We performed quantitative PCR to investigate the prevalence, quantity, risk, and correlates of salivary HHVs from 58 HIVseropositive individuals in a case control study. HHVs were significantly more prevalent in the salivas of HIV-seropositive persons than in those of the controls (odds ratios [ORs], 4.2 to 26.2; P < 0.008). In HIV-infected patients, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) were detected in 90%, 57%, 31% and 16% of samples, respectively, compared with 48%, 24%, 2%, and 2%, respectively, of samples from controls. Multiple HHVs were observed in 71% of HIV-seropositive persons and only 16% of controls (OR, 13.0; 95% confidence interval, 5.29 to 32.56). HIV-positive patients had significantly higher EBV loads than HIV-negative persons (P < 0.0001). HIVinfected patients with CD4 counts above 200 cells/l had increased probability for having HHV-8 in saliva (P ‫؍‬ 0.009) compared with patients whose counts were less than 200. In contrast, HSV-1, EBV, and CMV were detected more often when CD4 counts were low. High salivary HHV loads were detected for those (n ‫؍‬ 7) with oral lesions. These findings suggest that saliva is a potential risk factor for the acquisition of multiple HHVs, and several host factors may function to accelerate HHV reactivation or replication in patients with HIV infection.

Induction of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A reductase (HMGR; EC 1.

Human herpesviruses (HHVs) are ubiquitous pathogens that intermittently reactivate from latency. Transmission is believed to be facilitated by their frequent appearance in saliva. This study sought to understand the factors that influence the appearance of these viruses in saliva by examining the prevalence, pattern, and quantity of all eight HHVs in saliva of immunocompetent adults with a history of recurrent oral herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections following dental treatment and antiviral therapy. Valacyclovir or matched placebo was given (2 g twice on the day of treatment and 1 g twice the following day) to 125 patients in a randomized, double-blind controlled trial. Saliva, collected on the day of dental treatment and 3 and 7 days later, was analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR. At all visits, HHVs coinfected saliva. Over the course of the week, the DNAs of HHV-6 and HHV-7 were detected significantly more often (97% to 99% of patients) than Epstein-Barr virus (EBV; 64.8%), HSV-1 (13.0%), HHV-8 (3.2%), cytomegalovirus (2.4%), HSV-2 (0%), and varicella-zoster virus (0%), irrespective of drug treatment (P < 0.002). Mean genome copy numbers were highest for HSV-1 and HHV-6. Dental treatment did not influence asymptomatic viral shedding patterns. However, valacyclovir treatment resulted in significantly fewer patients shedding EBV at both postoperative visits compared with placebo (P < 0.008). These results suggest that HHVs are simultaneously present in the saliva of healthy adults at levels that could facilitate transmission, and valacyclovir therapy decreases the prevalence of EBV in saliva but has little effect on HHV-6 and HHV-7.Herpesviruses are ubiquitous pathogens that infect many animal species, including humans. Eight distinct members of the human Herpesviridae family have been identified. They include herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), HSV-2, varicellazoster virus (VZV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), HHV-7, and HHV-8 (Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus [KSHV]) (62, 81). These large DNA viruses each express more than 70 genes that specify a number of proteins and enzymes that can cause destruction of infected cells during the lytic infection (12,63). Following the initial lytic infection, HHVs establish a latent state in a diverse group of cells that ensures survival of the viral genome throughout the life of the host. Periodic reactivation and viral recrudescence (i.e., appearance with or without clinical symptoms) occur after stress and alterations in immune surveillance. Frank immunosuppression is associated with more severe disease and complications (e.g., encephalitis, pneumonia, hepatitis, and various forms of cancer) (2,7,13,14,40,53,57,60,67,68,78,83,84).Over 95% of the adult population are infected with HHVs (28,39,70,71,86). Infections occur following intimate contact with virus-laden secretions and in some case by fomites (e.g., nurseries, day care centers) (22,72). Saliva harbors most of the HHVs and appears to be an important mode for viru...

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JC virus in saliva, oropharyngeal fluid, blood, and urine samples obtained from 58 human immunodeficiency virus-infected persons and 58 matched controls was investigated by performing quantitative polymerase chain reaction. JC virus was rarely present in oropharyngeal fluid and blood samples, even in those obtained from immunosuppressed individuals, but it was commonly detected in urine samples from both groups, suggesting that urine contributes to transmission.

The effect of atmospheric methyl jasmonate on the oxylipin pathway was investigated in leaves of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), cucumber (Cucumis sativa L.), and Arabidopsis thaliana (L.). Differential sensitivities of test plants to methyl jasmonate were observed. Thus, different concentrations of methyl jasmonate were required for induction of changes in the oxylipin pathway. Arabidopsis was the least and cucumber the most sensitive to methyl jasmonate. Methyl jasmonate induced the accumulation of lipoxygenase protein and a corresponding increase in extractable lipoxygenase activity. Atmospheric methyl jasmonate additionally induced hydroperoxide lyase activity and the enhanced production of severa1 volatile six-carbon products. It is interesting that lipid hydroperoxidase activity, which is a measure of hydroperoxide lyase plus allene oxide synthase plus possibly other lipid hydroperoxidemetabolizing activities, was not changed by methyl jasmonate treatment. Methyl jasmonate selectively altered the activity of certain enzymes of the oxylipin pathway (lipoxygenase and hydroperoxide lyase) and increased the potential of leaves for greatly enhanced six-carbon-volatile production.MJ and JA are thought to be involved in numerous aspects of plant biochemistry. These include wound-induced defense (Farmer and Ryan, 1992;Pena-Cortes et al., 1993) Both JA and MJ are derived from linolenic acid via the oxylipin pathway (Vick and Zimmerman, 1984; Song and Brash, 19911, and there has been speculation that they may fulfill a biochemical and regulatory signaling role in plants '

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