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Diagnosis of Cytomegalovirus Infection by the Detection of Early Antigen (pp65) in Leukocytes of Kidney Transplant Patients
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Pacsa, A. S. El-Shazly, Ali Gupta, Rk Johny, Kv Nampoory, M. R. N. Sraeib Tarek Gadalla, Nahla Essa, Sahar Sultan |
| Copyright Year | 1999 |
| Abstract | Objective: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a frequent complication of kidney transplantation contributing substantially to morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis of the infection is essential to implement an effective antiviral therapy. This study is aimed at establishing the CMV antigenemia assay for the diagnosis of CMV infection, and for monitoring the effectiveness of ganciclovir therapy in kidney recipients in Kuwait. Methods: Leukocyte-enriched fractions of 215 blood specimens from 92 kidney recipients were processed for the detection of CMV-specific protein (pp65) by using a commercial kit (Incstar Corp., USA). Plasma fractions were also tested for the presence of CMV IgM antibodies, and selected samples (n = 15) were processed for virus isolation in MRC-5 diploid cell culture. Results: Regarding symptomatic (n = 35) and asymptomatic patients (n = 57) the assay showed an 86% positive and a 79% negative predictive value, compared to the 55% and 70% values, respectively, for CMV IgM antibodies. The number of positive cells was parallel with the severity of symptoms. Using a cutoff level of >5 antigen-positive leukocytes/50,000 cells, the assay reached 93% positive and 96% negative predictive values. There was a very good agreement between the assay and virus isolation. Ganciclovir therapy could be monitored effectively with the assay, and in 11 symptomatic patients treated with ganciclovir, a prompt decrease in the number of antigen-positive cells was noted. Conclusion: The CMV antigenemia assay is a valuable tool for the early diagnosis of symptomatic CMV infection and monitoring antiviral therapy in kidney transplant patients. |
| Starting Page | 85 |
| Ending Page | 90 |
| Page Count | 6 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| DOI | 10.1159/000026075 |
| Volume Number | 8 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://content.karger.com/Article/Pdf/26075 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/26075 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://doi.org/10.1159/000026075 |
| Journal | Medical Principles and Practice |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
