Evaluation of CMV DNA in dried blood spot.

Cytomegalovirus is the primary viral cause of congenital infection. However, diagnosis may be difficult for clinical and technical reasons. Currently, evaluation of CMV DNA on dried blood spot (DBS) is an important instrument to define a congenital infection.

Evaluation of CMV-specific cellular immune response by EliSPOT assay in kidney transplant patients.

Background: Immunological monitoring for CMV can be useful in transplant patients; however, few centers perform it on a routine basis.

Objectives: In this study, CMV-specific cellular response was evaluated in a population of kidney transplant recipients and related to viral infection/reactivation and other demographic and clinical features.

Study Design: Three hundred and twenty-eight patients were studied by EliSPOT assay: 201 prospectively monitored in the first year posttransplantation, 127 with a single determination at >1 year.

Comparison of two nucleic acid extraction and testing systems for HCMV-DNA detection and quantitation on whole blood specimens from transplant patients.

Quantitative detection of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) DNA on whole blood is currently the primary choice for virological monitoring in transplant patients and for determining the appropriate antiviral strategy, however specific issues of variability remain in terms of extraction methods, amplification efficiency, and variability. This study compared the performance characteristics of two nucleic acid extraction and testing systems for HCMV-DNA quantitation, the artus® CMV QS-RGQ kit, associated with a fully automated DNA extraction and assay set up by Qiagen (system 1) and the Q-CMV Real Time Complete kit by Nanogen, associated with a semiautomated nucleic acid extraction system by Biomérieux (system 2) in 189 specimens from transplant patients and 10 from 2012 HCMV Quality Control for Molecular Diagnostics (QCMD). The two systems exhibited a 80.

Detection of human cytomegalovirus in transbronchial biopsies from lung transplant recipients.

The role of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in lung transplantation (LT) and drawbacks related to viral quantification in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) underline the potential usefulness of investigating other specimens. Thirty-three LT recipients were prospectively studied by HCMV quantitative real time PCR on matched transbronchial biopsy (TBB), BAL, and whole blood specimens. Overall, 27/33 patients turned out HCMV-positive in at least one specimen: 7.

The lack of cytomegalovirus-specific cellular immune response may contribute to the onset of organ infection and disease in lung transplant recipients.

Cellular immune response has been demonstrated to play a role in the control of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication in organ transplant recipients. Herein, HCMV-specific T-cell response and association to the onset of organ infection/disease were prospectively evaluated by EliSPOT assay in a population of 46 lung transplant (LT) recipients at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months post-transplantation. According to our centre?s practice, a combined prolonged antiviral prophylaxis (HCMV-IG for 12 months and ganciclovir or valganciclovir for 3 weeks from postoperative day 21) was given to all LT recipients.

Prevalence and follow-up of occult HCV infection in an Italian population free of clinically detectable infectious liver disease.

Background: Occult hepatitis C virus infection (OCI) is a recently described phenomenon characterized by undetectable levels of HCV-RNA in serum/plasma by current laboratory assays, with identifiable levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and/or liver tissue by molecular tests with enhanced sensitivity. Previous results from our group showed an OCI prevalence of 3.3% in a population unselected for hepatic disease.

Clinical impact of HSV-1 detection in the lower respiratory tract from hospitalized adult patients.

The occurrence and clinical impact of herpes simplex virus (HSV) were evaluated in 342 bronchoalveolar lavage specimens from 237 patients. HSV-1 and HSV-2 were detected in 32.1% and <1% of patients, respectively.