Document 0923
 DOCN  M9540923
 TI    PCR detection of HIV proviral DNA (gag) in the brains of patients with
       AIDS: comparison between results using fresh frozen and paraffin wax
       embedded specimens.
 DT    9504
 AU    An SF; Ciardi A; Scaravilli F; Department of Neuropathology, National
       Hospital for Neurology and; Neurosurgery, London.
 SO    J Clin Pathol. 1994 Nov;47(11):990-4. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/95130766
 AB    AIMS--To adapt the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique of HIV
       detection to paraffin wax embedded brain tissue and to compare the
       results with those obtained using frozen tissue. METHODS--HIV antigen
       and HIV proviral DNA were detected in specimens of frontal lobe using
       immunohistochemistry and PCR, respectively. DNA was extracted from fresh
       tissue using standard methods whereas the technique for extracting DNA
       from paraffin wax embedded tissue was partly modified. RESULTS--Twenty
       cases were examined. HIV DNA was detected in 16 cases in frozen
       specimens. Of these, 15 were also positive when paraffin wax embedded
       material was analysed. CONCLUSIONS--This study shows that HIV proviral
       DNA can be detected in formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded brain
       tissue by PCR. The results obtained from paraffin wax embedded specimens
       showed a similar degree of reliability to those from fresh frozen brain.
       Factors such as fixative, fixation time, and delay in performing post
       mortem examinations did not seem to influence PCR amplification as
       positive results were obtained with specimens left in fixative for up to
       eight months, as well as in cases where post mortem examinations had
       been delayed for up to four days.
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*VIROLOGY  Adult  Aged  Antigens,
       Viral/ANALYSIS  Base Sequence  Brain/*VIROLOGY  Comparative Study  DNA
       Primers/GENETICS  DNA, Viral/*ANALYSIS  Frozen Sections  *Genes, gag
       Human  HIV/*GENETICS/IMMUNOLOGY  Immunohistochemistry  Male  Middle Age
       Molecular Sequence Data  Paraffin Embedding  *Polymerase Chain Reaction
       Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  Time Factors  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).