May 2003
Volume 44, Issue 13
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   May 2003
Factors Related to the Opacity of Cytomegalovirus Retinitis Lesions in Patients with AIDS
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • D.T. Goldenberg
    Ocular Inflammatory Disease Center, Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
  • G.N. Holland
    Ocular Inflammatory Disease Center, Jules Stein Eye Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
  • M.L. Van Natta
    Center for Clinical Trials, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
  • L.D. Hubbard
    Dept of Ophthalmology, Fundus Photograph Reading Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI, United States
  • Studies of Ocular Complications of AIDS Rsch Group
    Dept of Ophthalmology, Fundus Photograph Reading Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI, United States
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships  D.T. Goldenberg, None; G.N. Holland, None; M.L. Van Natta, None; L.D. Hubbard, None.
  • Footnotes
    Support  NIH Grants EY08052, EY08057, EY08067, and Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc.
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science May 2003, Vol.44, 3129. doi:
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      D.T. Goldenberg, G.N. Holland, M.L. Van Natta, L.D. Hubbard, Studies of Ocular Complications of AIDS Rsch Group; Factors Related to the Opacity of Cytomegalovirus Retinitis Lesions in Patients with AIDS . Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2003;44(13):3129.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis lesion border opacity (whiteness) is believed to be a reflection of virus activity. The intensity of opacity varies between patients, but the reasons for the observed differences have not been fully explained. We sought to identify host factors that are related to severity of lesion border opacification in untreated patients. Methods: In a retrospective review, we identified 11 individuals among subjects in the Longitudinal Studies of the Ocular Complications of AIDS (LSOCA) database who had newly diagnosed CMV retinitis and were not being treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) or any specific anti-CMV medication. We compared severity of lesion border opacification to the following factors: zone of involvement and various measures of immune function. Opacity was graded by masked readers at the Fundus Photograph Reading Center using a seven-point scale. Results: Our results confirm a previous observation that lesions in zone 1 (macula and peripapillary areas) are associated with greater degrees of opacification. In addition, the following relationships were identified between severity of opacification and measures of immune function: inverse relationships with CD8+ T-lymphocyte count (p=0.03) and CD4+ T-lymphocyte count (p=0.06); and a direct relationship with HIV blood level (p=0.03). Conclusion: The severity of CMV retinitis lesion border opacification may reflect levels of immune function through an effect on virus activity. Further studies of lesion characteristics may provide a better understanding of host-virus interactions. The appearance of lesions at diagnosis may also have prognostic significance.

Keywords: cytomegalovirus • AIDS/HIV 
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