Relation between pp65 antigenemia, RT-PCR and viruria for cytomegalovirus detection in kidney transplant recipients.
BACKGROUND
We compared the efficiency of detection using pp65 antigenemia, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and viruria for the diagnosis of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections after kidney transplantation.


METHODS
We evaluated 40 renal transplant recipients between weeks 5 and 12 after transplantation, including 179 blood and 181 urine specimens.


RESULTS
All positive samples by antigenemia were also positive by PCR. However, in 52 cases only PCR was positive (kappa = 0.134 [P < .001]). Viruria was positive in 66 cases, but only 26 were CMV PCR positive. In 34 cases, viruria was negative and PCR positive (P = .192).


CONCLUSIONS
Detection of DNA in serum is a more sensitive method than antigenemia for the diagnosis of CMV infection. Viruria was not related to the presence of CMV in blood.
Solà
R
R
Unitat de Transplantament Renal, Fundació Puigvert, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain. rsola@fundacio-pvigvert.es
Rabella
N
N
Guirado
L L
LL
Díaz
J M
JM
Facundo
C
C
García
R
R
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine / Q000821:virology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000097:blood*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; C065418:cytomegalovirus matrix protein 65kDa