title: Clinical trial of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for detection of cytomegalovirus in peripheral blood of allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplant recipients.
abstract: The preemptive therapy of cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation is useful for the prevention of CMV disease in allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. We compared results of the pp65 CMV antigenemia test with quantitative touch-down polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) on unfractionated whole blood for the detection of CMV reactivation in 51 HSCT recipients. Forty episodes of reactivation in 28 patients were detected by antigenemia and treated by antiviral drugs. Q-PCR detected CMV DNA in 39 (97.5%) of 40 reactivation episodes. False-positive results occurred in 3% of tests, of which 63% were borderline positive. Q-PCR results were positive earlier than antigenemia results in 30 (77%) of 39 episodes detected by antigenemia. Q-PCR remained positive after treatment was discontinued in 14 (36%) of 39 episodes and predicted the return of CMV reactivation in 4 (31%) of 13 episodes. Q-PCR was more sensitive than the antigenemia test and had sufficient specificity for clinical use.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014775:Virus Activation; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000998:Antiviral Agents