title: Quantification of human cytomegalovirus DNA by a new capture hybrid polymerase chain reaction enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of bone marrow transplant recipients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Quantitative monitoring of human cytomegalovirus infections is helpful in determining appropriate antiviral management in patients who receive bone marrow transplants. We sought to design and evaluate a new cytomegalovirus capture hybrid polymerase chain reaction enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (PCR-ELISA) in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells to monitor cytomegalovirus infection in bone marrow transplant recipients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six patients who received allogeneic bone marrow transplants, including 17 male patients and 9 female patients (9 adults, 17 children), were enrolled in this study. A total of 313 consecutive whole blood specimens, before and from 7 to 120 days after transplant, was evaluated in the study. A newly designed biotinylated probe-mediated quantitative competitive PCR-ELISA test was used to determine cytomegalovirus load in specimens of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 26 patients were cytomegalovirus seropositive before transplant. Capture hybrid PCR-ELISA of peripheral blood mononuclear cells detected cytomegalovirus DNA in 287 of 313 specimens (91.7%) even in cases with no active cytomegalovirus infection. In plasma, cytomegalovirus DNA was detected in 114 of 313 specimens (36.4%). Increasing titers of cytomegalovirus DNA were detected in 14 of 26 patients (53.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The quantitative capture hybrid PCR-ELISA was able to diagnose and monitor cytomegalovirus infection in patients who received bone marrow transplants. Detection of cytomegalovirus DNA in plasma was more predictive of the onset of cytomegalovirus-related clinical symptoms, compared to detection in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
authors.affiliation: Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Namazi Hospital, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mazyar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ziyaeyan
authors.forename: Farzaneh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sabahi
authors.forename: Abdolvahab
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alborzi
authors.forename: Mani
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramzi
authors.forename: Fereidoun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mahboudi
authors.forename: Bahman
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pourabbas
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kadivar