This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ho, S. K. N.
Right arrow Articles by Chan, T.-M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ho, S. K. N.
Right arrow Articles by Chan, T.-M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 1998, p. 638-640, Vol. 36, No. 3
0095-1137/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Rapid Cytomegalovirus pp65 Antigenemia Assay by Direct Erythrocyte Lysis and Immunofluorescence Staining

Stephen K. N. Ho, Chi-Yuen Lo, Ignatius K. P. Cheng, and Tak-Mao Chan*

Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Received 22 September 1997/Returned for modification 5 November 1997/Accepted 15 December 1997

A rapid cytomegalovirus (CMV) pp65 antigenemia assay with direct erythrocyte lysis (DL) with 0.8% NH4Cl, followed by indirect immunofluorescence staining (IF), was evaluated with 82 blood samples from renal transplant recipients, and the results were compared to those of the conventional antigenemia assay with dextran sedimentation and two-cycle alkaline phosphatase, anti-alkaline phosphatase staining (DS-APAAP). The DL-IF modification gave a higher leukocyte yield compared to DS-APAAP (75.4 versus 54.9%; P < 0.05), with similar leukocyte viability rates of >95%. The DL-IF methodology involved fewer technical steps, and the assay time was shortened from 5 h to less than 3 h. Nineteen of the 82 samples concordantly tested positive for pp65 antigenemia by both assays, and the readings showed a good correlation (r = 0.996; P < 0.01). No discordant results were observed. We conclude that the CMV pp65 antigenemia assay by this novel DL-IF modification is technically simpler, cheaper, and less time-consuming but yields results comparable to those of the conventional DS-APAAP assay. The shortened assay time and increased capacity to handle more samples confer distinct advantages in the rapid diagnosis and prompt treatment of CMV disease in immunosuppressed patients.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong. Phone: (852) 2855 4041. Fax: (852) 2872 5828. E-mail: DTMCHAN{at}hkucc.hku.hk.


Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 1998, p. 638-640, Vol. 36, No. 3
0095-1137/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • LaSala, P. R., Yarsa, J., Nguyen, D. V., Han, X. Y., Tarrand, J. (2009). Evaluation of an Abbreviated Protocol for Cytomegalovirus pp65 Antigenemia Testing. Am J Clin Pathol 131: 526-531 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ho, S. K. N., Li, F.-K., Lai, K.-N., Chan, T.-M. (2000). Comparison of the CMV Brite Turbo Assay and the Digene Hybrid Capture CMV DNA (Version 2.0) Assay for Quantitation of Cytomegalovirus in Renal Transplant Recipients. J. Clin. Microbiol. 38: 3743-3745 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Landry, M. L., Ferguson, D. (2000). Reduced Ability To Culture Cytomegalovirus from Peripheral Blood Leukocytes Isolated by Direct Erythrocyte Lysis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 38: 3906-3906 [Full Text]  
  • Sia, I. G., Patel, R. (2000). New Strategies for Prevention and Therapy of Cytomegalovirus Infection and Disease in Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 13: 83-121 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Landry, M. L., Ferguson, D. (2000). 2-Hour Cytomegalovirus pp65 Antigenemia Assay for Rapid Quantitation of Cytomegalovirus in Blood Samples. J. Clin. Microbiol. 38: 427-428 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bush, C. E., Sluchak-Carlsen, J. A. (1998). Evaluation of a Leukocyte Stabilization Reagent for Use in the Cytomegalovirus pp65 Antigenemia Assay. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36: 3410-3411 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Boeckh, M., Boivin, G. (1998). Quantitation of Cytomegalovirus: Methodologic Aspects and Clinical Applications. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 11: 533-554 [Abstract] [Full Text]