[Quantitative cytomegaloviral leukocytic antigenemia. Clinical aspects]

Cytomegalovirus infection, commonly observed in immunodepressed patients, raises a number of problems both in clinical practice (early rapid diagnosis, therapeutic options) and biological research (resistant strains, mutations). The classical methods of diagnosis do not provide specific information for decision making in each particular clinical situation. We report a case of cytomegalovirus infection in a renal transplant recipient in which quantitative cytomegalovirus antigen level in leukocytes provided rapid early diagnosis of the primary infection and two episodes of recurrent infection. Increase antigen level always preceded clinical manifestations. Three anti-cytomegalovirus regimens were given and the antigen level fell proportionally to clinical improvement. Based on the data in the literature and this clinical observation, it appears that cytomegalovirus antigen level in leukocytes is a precise tool for early diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection. The technique is rapid, has an excellent sensitivity and the quantitative results are correlated with clinical manifestations. Quantitative anti-cytomegalovirus antigen assay can be a very helpful tool in the management of infected immunodepressed patients.