[Detection of cytomegalovirus DNA in immunosuppressed patients using qualitative and quantitative molecular methods]

In this study, blood samples collected from 101 immunosuppressive patients were investigated for the presence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA, with qualitative nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and leukocytes obtained from these samples with quantitative hybrid capture assay (HCA). CMV-DNA was found positive in 32 (31.7%) and negative in 45 (44.5%) patients with both of the methods, and the agreement between the methods were estimated as 76.2%. The number of samples, which were PCR positive and HCA negative, were 24 (23.7%), while there were no samples which were PCR negative and HCA positive. All of the 56 CMV-DNA positive patients detected by PCR, were found positive for CMV-IgG, and 7 of them were also CMV-IgM positive. As a result, it was concluded that PCR is a practical and reliable method especially for the routine procedures for the investigation of CMV-DNA, however in cases which necessitate the detection of viral load, hybridization may be the preferable method.