title: Comparison of cytomegalovirus loads in plasma and leukocytes of patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis. The Cytomegalovirus Retinitis and Viral Resistance Study Group.
abstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA loads in paired leukocyte and plasma samples from 199 patient visits by 66 patients with CMV retinitis were determined. Leukocyte CMV load determinations had a greater range of values (mean, 24,587 copies/10(6) leukocytes; maximum, 539, 000) than did plasma CMV load determinations (mean, 10,302 copies/ml; maximum, 386,000), and leukocyte viral loads were detectable in a greater proportion of patients at the time of diagnosis of CMV retinitis prior to initiation of anti-CMV therapy (82%) than were plasma viral loads (64%) (P = 0.0078). Agreement with CMV blood cultures was slightly better for plasma (kappa = 0. 68) than for leukocytes (kappa = 0.53), due to a greater proportion of patients with detectable viral loads in leukocytes having negative blood cultures.
authors: Departments of Ophthalmology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. dajabs@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu
authors: D A
authors: DA
authors: Jabs
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Forman
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Enger
authors: J B
authors: JB
authors: Jackson
mesh_terms: D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000821:virology*; D012173:Retinitis / Q000821:virology*; D014766:Viremia / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral