title: Real-time monitoring of cytomegalovirus infections after stem cell transplantation using the TaqMan polymerase chain reaction assays.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Real-time monitoring of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in transplant patients demands a rapid and high-throughput CMV DNA quantification method.
  
  
  METHODS
  TaqMan polymerase chain reaction assays based on CMV immediate early protein exon 4 and glycoprotein B were developed and were compared with a COBAS AMPLICOR CMV MONITOR (CMM) test for quantifying CMV DNA in peripheral blood leukocytes from seven stem cell transplant patients having received antiviral treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a good correlation between the TaqMan assays and the CMM test for CMV DNA quantification. The throughput of the TaqMan assays was, however, about 3 times higher than that of the CMM test. The CMV DNA dynamics patterns determined by the TaqMan polymerase chain reaction were well in line with the outcome of the antiviral therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TaqMan assays may potentially serve as a useful tool for rapid quantification of CMV infections in stem cell transplant patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Virology, Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. zhyu@labd01.hs.sll.se
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lewensohn-Fuchs
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ljungman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vahlne
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003199:Computer Systems; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D019520:Living Donors; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral