Interpreting Quantitative Cytomegalovirus DNA Testing: Understanding the Laboratory Perspective

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant patients, and is typically monitored using laboratory-developed quantitative molecular assays. Clinicians who use quantitative CMV DNA testing should be aware of a number of aspects of testing that will aid in decis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical infectious diseases 2012-06, Vol.54 (12), p.1793-1797
Main Authors: Kraft, Colleen S., Armstrong, Wendy S., Caliendo, Angela M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Blood
Blood - virology
Blood plasma
Cytomegalovirus
Cytomegalovirus - genetics
Cytomegalovirus - isolation & purification
Cytomegalovirus infections
Cytomegalovirus Infections - diagnosis
Cytomegalovirus Infections - virology
Data Interpretation, Statistical
Decision making
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Disease risk
DNA
DNA, Viral - analysis
DNA, Viral - isolation & purification
Humans
Infectious diseases
Invited
MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY
Medical sciences
Mortality
Relapse
Specimens
Transplantation
Transplantation - adverse effects
Transplants & implants
Viral diseases
Viral load
Viral Load - methods
Viruses
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Summary:Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant patients, and is typically monitored using laboratory-developed quantitative molecular assays. Clinicians who use quantitative CMV DNA testing should be aware of a number of aspects of testing that will aid in decision making while managing CMV disease in their patients. These include (1) the specimen type used (whole blood or plasma), (2) the limit of detection and limit of quantification chosen by the clinical laboratory, (3) the linear range of the assay, (4) the reproducibility of the assay within the institution, and (5) the wide variability of viral load values among different assays. The biologic properties of CMV, including its variability within the host and of its half-life, are also important factors in the clinical testing for this virus.
ISSN:1058-4838
1537-6591
DOI:10.1093/cid/cis212