BACKGROUND Multiple strains infection of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) was found to be correlated with increased viral load in immunodeficient patients. However, the pathogenic mechanism underlying this correlation remains unclear. To evaluate genetic polymorphisms of HCMV glycoprotein and their potential role in its viral load, HCMV glycoprotein B, N, and O (gB, gN and gO) genotypes was studied in the population of HCMV infected acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. The association between glycoprotein polymorphisms and HCMV viral load was analyzed. METHODS The genetic polymorphisms of glycoprotein from sera of 60 HCMV infected AIDS patients was investigated by multiplex nested PCR and sequencing. HCMV viral load was evaluated by quantitative PCR. RESULTS gB1, gO1a, and gN4a were the predominant glycoprotein genotypes in HCMV infected AIDS patients and composed 86.96%, 78.8%, and 49.2%, respectively. Only gN4a genotype infection significantly increased viral load (P = 0.048). 71% (43/60) of HCMV infected AIDS patients were found to carry multiple HCMV strains infection. A novel potential linkage of gO1a/gN4a was identified from multiple HCMV infected patients. It was the most frequent occurrence, accounted for 51.5% in 33 patients with gO and gN genotypes infection. Furthermore, the gO1a/gN4a linkage was correlated to an increased viral load (P = 0.020). CONCLUSION The gN4a correlates to higher level HCMV load in AIDS patients. Interestingly, a novel gO1a/gN4a linkage is identified from the patients with multiple HCMV strains infection and is also associated with an increased viral load. Therefore, the pathogenic mechanism underlying glycoprotein polymorphisms and interaction of variants should be analyzed further.

中文翻译：

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人类巨细胞病毒糖蛋白多态性和艾滋病患者的病毒载量增加。

背景技术发现人类巨细胞病毒（HCMV）的多株感染与免疫缺陷患者的病毒载量增加有关。但是，这种相关性的致病机制尚不清楚。为了评估HCMV糖蛋白的遗传多态性及其在病毒载量中的潜在作用，在HCMV感染的获得性免疫缺陷综合症（AIDS）患者中研究了HCMV糖蛋白B，N和O（gB，gN和gO）基因型。分析了糖蛋白多态性与HCMV病毒载量之间的关联。方法采用多重巢式PCR和测序方法对60例HCMV感染的艾滋病患者血清糖蛋白的遗传多态性进行研究。通过定量PCR评估HCMV病毒载量。结果gB1，gO1a，HCMV感染的AIDS患者中gn4a和gN4a是主要的糖蛋白基因型，分别占86.96％，78.8％和49.2％。只有gN4a基因型感染显着增加病毒载量（P = 0.048）。发现71％（43/60）的HCMV感染艾滋病患者携带多种HCMV株感染。从多个HCMV感染患者中鉴定出了gO1a / gN4a的新型潜在连接。它是最常见的，在33例具有gO和gN基因型感染的患者中占51.5％。此外，gO1a / gN4a连锁与病毒载量增加相关（P = 0.020）。结论gN4a与AIDS患者较高的HCMV含量有关。有趣的是，从患有多种HCMV毒株感染的患者中发现了一种新型的gO1a / gN4a连锁，并且还与病毒载量增加有关。所以，