Abstract

DE ARMAS RODRIGUEZ, Yaxsier; CAPO DE PAZ, Virginia  and  XIOMARA LOPEZ FUENTES, Ledy. Molecular detection of Pneumocystis jiroveci in paraffin-embedded tissue from persons who died from HIV/AIDS. Rev Cubana Med Trop [online]. 2008, vol.60, n.3. ISSN 0375-0760.

BACKGROUND: Pneumocystis jiroveci is one of the most frequent opportunistic pathogens affecting the patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. OBJECTIVE: to detect P. jiroveci in paraffin-embedded tissues by means of the polymerase chain reaction. METHODS: six paraffin blocks from 3 dead persons who died from AIDS and P. jiroveci pneumonia. Routine and special staining of the pathological anatomy together with the PCR for diagnosis were performed. RESULTS: the PCR identified this infective agent in the studied paraffin blocks. It was possible to detect P. jiroveci up to 1:100 dilution of the genetic material extracted from each block. CONCLUSIONS: the availability of molecular methods to identify P. jiroveci in paraffined tissue opens up the road to determination of genotypes involved in the Cuban AIDS pandemics and will allow ascertaining whether the infective strain, in fatal cases, is resistant to the drugs that are being used.

Keywords : Pneumocystis jiroveci; polymerase chain reaction; paraffin; AIDS; HIV.