Dried urine spots for detection and quantification of cytomegalovirus in newborns

Dried urine spots (DUS) have been reported to provide a simple screening tool for congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. We developed a standardized method for CMV quantification from DUS. Two applications of 20 μL urine remained within the rim of the filter paper disc and were used to determine the analytical performance of Towne CMV spiked into urine and applied on the discs. The measurable range spanned 3.7 to ≥8.0 log(10) copies/mL. The detection limit was 22 DNA copies/disc. Urine samples from congenitally infected newborns and negative controls were either diluted 1:10 or applied on filter paper at the same volume. DNA copy number from DUS correlated well with copy number from 1:10 diluted urine, although there was a trend for lower levels from DUS (0.3 log(10) difference). Our standardized method for CMV detection and quantification may facilitate CMV studies in resource-limited areas and allow for longitudinal monitoring of viral loads in treated infants.