title: Detection of human cytomegalovirus in clinical specimens by centrifugation culture with a nonhuman cell line.
abstract: The sensitivities of MRC-5 and mink lung (ML) cells in centrifugation culture were compared simultaneously for the detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) IE antigen (immediate-early antigen) from clinical specimens. Of 413 samples assayed, 51 (12%) were positive for CMV by both centrifugation and standard cell culture. At 20 h postinoculation (p.i.), 46 of 51 (90.2%) CMV-positive specimens were detected in ML cells. At 40 h p.i., 50 of 51 (98.0%) CMV-positive specimens were detected in ML cells, compared with 48 of 51 (94.0%) in MRC-5 cells. There was no significant difference in the detection of CMV in either cell line by centrifugation culture. However, in 19 of 23 positive samples that had countable foci at 20 h p.i., there was a 25% increase in the number of positive foci observed for ML cells compared with MRC-5 cells. Less toxicity was also noted for ML cells than for MRC cells, particularly in viral blood specimens. These data suggest that ML cells are comparable to MRC-5 cells for the rapid detection of CMV by centrifugation culture.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases References Laboratory, Chiles Research Institute, Providence Medical Center, Portland, Oregon 97213-2967.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Gleaves
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hursh
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Meyers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002498:Centrifugation; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014773:Virology / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014776:Virus Cultivation / Q000379:methods