Quantitative analysis of Epstein-Barr virus load by using a real-time PCR assay.
To measure the virus load in patients with symptomatic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections, we used a real-time PCR assay to quantify the amount of EBV DNA in blood. The real-time PCR assay could detect from 2 to over 10(7) copies of EBV DNA with a wide linear range. We estimated the virus load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) from patients with symptomatic EBV infections. The mean EBV-DNA copy number in the PBMNC was 10(3.7) copies/microg of DNA in patients with EBV-related lymphoproliferative disorders, 10(4.1) copies/microg of DNA in patients with chronic active EBV infections, and 10(2.2) copies/microg of DNA in patients with infectious mononucleosis. These numbers were significantly larger than those in either posttransplant patients or immunocompetent control patients without EBV-related diseases. In a patient with infectious mononucleosis, the virus load decreased as the symptoms resolved. The copy number of EBV DNA in PBMNC from symptomatic EBV infections was correlated with the EBV-positive cell number determined by the in situ hybridization assay (r = 0.842; P < 0.0001). These results indicate that the real-time PCR assay is useful for diagnosing symptomatic EBV infection and for monitoring the virus load.
Kimura
H
H
Department of Pediatrics, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan. hkimura@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Morita
M
M
Yabuta
Y
Y
Kuzushima
K
K
Kato
K
K
Kojima
S
S
Matsuyama
T
T
Morishima
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D006493:Heparin; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019562:Viral Load
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006493:Heparin