Rapid quantitative analysis of human cytomegalovirus DNA by the real-time polymerase chain reaction method.

CONTEXT: Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a progressive and life-threatening complication in immunocompromised patients even now. Therefore, early and accurate treatment based on rapid and certain detection is needed to prevent fatal CMV infection diseases.

OBJECTIVE

To study a quicker, simpler, and less expensive method of quantitative analysis using real-time polymerase chain reaction based on the SYBR Green I method of CMV detection for appropriate treatment of CMV infection in immunocompromised patients.

DESIGN

We quantified 50 samples tested by direct immunoperoxidase staining of leukocytes with peroxidase-labeled monoclonal antibody (C7-HRP test), 30 samples from healthy persons, and 47 samples from 7 patients suspected of having CMV infection diseases. We used the primer set in the pp65 gene of CMV and whole blood without a preparatory process. The setting for the study was the First Department of Pathology, Kurume University School of Medicine, St Mary's Hospital, and the Gene Section of the Clinical Laboratory at St Mary's Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.

RESULTS

The results obtained with this method corresponded well with conventional C7-HRP tests and demonstrated excellent reproduction. Additionally, the results were better correlated with the clinical course than were C7-HRP tests.

CONCLUSIONS

This method was more useful than the C7-HRP test as a rapid diagnostic test for early treatment of CMV infection. This test also demonstrated its usefulness for monitoring CMV infection during treatment using ganciclovir. Moreover, it was quicker, simpler, and cheaper than other real-time polymerase chain reaction methods.