title: Quantification of cytomegalovirus DNA in blood specimens from bone marrow transplant recipients by the polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: A nested PCR system for cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in blood specimens from bone marrow transplant recipients is described, in which the biotinylated tritium-labelled product from the second round of PCR is quantified using streptavidin-coated fluorometric Scintillation Proximity Assay (SPA) beads (Amersham, UK). This assay has been compared with a PCR procedure based on limiting-dilution, in which the end-point is determined visually following electrophoresis in agarose gel. The two systems were shown to be equivalent in sensitivity and specificity on testing stored serial blood samples from six CMV antibody-positive allogeneic bone marrow transplant patients who developed viraemia as detected by conventional methods of virus isolation in tissue culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK.
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Rawal
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Booth
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fernando
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Butcher
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Powles
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014766:Viremia / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral