Hoshino Y, Nagata Y, Taguchi H, Masunaga A, Fujino Y, Mochizuki M, Nakamura T, Iwamoto A
Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
Microbiol Immunol. 1999;43(10):959-65. doi: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1999.tb03356.x.
Forty-two patients were evaluated to determine the value of the CMV antigenemia (CMV-Ag) test as a follow-up marker as well as a prediction marker of CMV disease. Twenty patients were positive for at least one positive CMV-Ag assay and 9 of them developed CMV retinitis. With the threshold value (10 positive cells), sensitivity was 56% and specificity was 94%. The CMV-Ag assay, with the threshold value, produced high specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value but relatively poor sensitivity. Eight patients experienced CMV disease relapse a total of 16 times. At relapse, 8 of the 16 times showed negative for CMV-Ag assay; 7 underwent systemic maintenance while 1 underwent local maintenance. It is inferred that the CMV-Ag test is a poor follow-up marker to detect the relapse of CMV disease, particularly in patients undergoing systemic maintenance.
