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Monitoring of patients for cytomegalovirus after organ transplantation by centrifugation culture and PCR
Author(s) -
Prösch Susanna,
Kimel Viktor,
Dawydowa Irina,
Krüger Detlev H.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890380404
Subject(s) - centrifugation , bronchoalveolar lavage , sputum , virology , polymerase chain reaction , cytomegalovirus , antigen , viral culture , betaherpesvirinae , biology , human cytomegalovirus , cytomegalovirus infection , transplantation , immunology , herpesviridae , medicine , virus , viral disease , pathology , lung , tuberculosis , biochemistry , gene
A modified centrifugation culture technique and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is described for detection of early antigen and IE antigen DNA, respectively, for rapid and sensitive monitoring of active cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection after organ transplantation. In a preliminary study, 541 clinical specimens (blood, urine, bronchoalveolar lavage, pharyngeal wash, sputum) from 59 organ recipients were assayed for HCMV antigen by centrifugation culture; 144 samples were tested by PCR simultaneously. Antigenemia detected by centrifugation culture correlated strongly with active HCMV infection and clinical symptoms and proved useful for monitoring the efficacy of anti‐viral therapy. PCR was more sensitive in an earlier phase of infection when centrifugation culture was still negative. The clinical usefulness of both methods is discussed. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.