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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, February 2001, p. 564-569, Vol. 39, No. 2
Institute of Immunology and Transfusion
Medicine1 and Department of
Pediatrics,2 University of Lübeck School
of Medicine, Lübeck, and Department of Thoracic Surgery,
Hannover School of Medicine, Hannover,3
Germany, and Department of Pediatrics, Université
Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium4
Received 2 August 2000/Returned for modification 16 October
2000/Accepted 30 November 2000
The load of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in peripheral blood
mononuclear cells of transplant recipients represents a predictive parameter for posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD). The
aim of our work was to develop a rapid and reliable PCR protocol for
the quantification of cell-associated EBV DNA in transplant recipients.
In contrast to previous studies, a protocol that facilitated quantification independent of photometric nucleic acid analysis was
established. We took advantage of the real-time PCR technology which
allows for single-tube coamplification of EBV and genomic C-reactive
protein (CRP) DNA. EBV copy numbers were normalized by division by the
amount of CRP DNA, with the quotient representing the actual amount of
amplifiable genomic DNA per reaction. Coamplification of CRP DNA did
not result in a diminished detection limit for EBV. By using the
protocol without normalization, EBV copy numbers in 4 out of 10 PTLD
patients were within the normal range determined with data for 114 transplant recipients that served as controls. After normalization,
however, all of the PTLD patients had a higher viral load than the
control population, indicating an increased sensitivity of the assay.
Moreover, EBV copy numbers obtained for one patient by conventional
quantification and suggestive of relapsing PTLD were within normal
range after normalization. We conclude that normalization of PCR
signals to coamplified genomic DNA allows a more accurate
quantification of cell-bound EBV.
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.2.564-569.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Normalized Quantification by Real-Time PCR of
Epstein-Barr Virus Load in Patients at Risk for Posttransplant
Lymphoproliferative Disorders
*
Corresponding author. Present address: 1st Department
of Internal Medicine, University of Lübeck School of Medicine,
Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany. Phone: 49-451-500 2359. Fax: 49-451-500 3402. E-mail:
jabs{at}immu.mu-luebeck.de.
Present address: Department of Microbiology and Immunology,
Louisiana State University Health Science Center, Shreveport, Louisiana.
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