title: Comparison of pp65 antigenemia, quantitative PCR and DNA hybrid capture for detection of cytomegalovirus in transplant recipients and AIDS patients.
abstract: The cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigenemia assay has been used frequently for rapid diagnosis of CMV infection, and antigenemia threshold values are recommended for triggering preemptive therapy. Hybrid capture of CMV's DNA and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) are increasingly being adopted for early detection of CMV. The performance of the antigenemia assay, qPCR in plasma and hybrid capture in leukocytes were compared in 110 immunocompromised patients (38 bone-marrow transplants, 50 renal transplants and 22 AIDS patients). The most sensitive test was hybrid capture for transplants, while antigenemia and the qPCR showed similar performance for patients with AIDS. QPCR and hybrid capture thresholds requiring antiviral therapy were calculated using a receiver-operating-characteristic curve for antigenemia values corresponding to 2 positive cells for bone-marrow transplants and to 10 positive cells for renal transplants and AIDS patients. These threshold values varied with the group of patients considered, with corresponding sensitivities higher than 86% and specificities higher than 76% for hybrid capture, and sensitivities higher than 61% and specificities higher than 75% for qPCR in plasma. Hybrid capture in leukocytes can substitute for antigenemia in the case of transplants, and qPCR in plasma can substitute for it in the case of AIDS patients.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Boulevard, 9-Avril-1938, 1006 Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mhiri
authors.forename: Belhassen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaabi
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Houimel
authors.forename: Zakia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Arrouji
authors.forename: Amine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slim
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D019562:Viral Load; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; C065418:cytomegalovirus matrix protein 65kDa