Early detection of active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection after heart and kidney transplantation by testing for immediate early antigenemia and influence of cellular immunity on the occurrence of CMV infection.

To determine the incidence of active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection after organ transplantation and its relationship with the immune system, 55 renal and 14 cardiac transplant recipients were closely monitored for active CMV infection (expression of CMV immediate early antigen in granulocytes--antigenemia--and positive cultures) and immune parameters. All 19 CMV-seronegative recipients with seronegative donors remained seronegative, showing that no CMV transmission occurred by leukocyte-depleted blood products. Primary CMV infection occurred in 4 of 11 (36%) patients with positive donors and was symptomatic in 1 (9%) patient. Active CMV infection was found in 29 of 39 (74%) seropositive patients and was symptomatic in 3 (8%) patients. CMV antigenemia was always the first indication of active CMV infection (antigenemia, on average, at day 45 +/- 15; immunoglobulin G rise at day 71 +/- 36; and positive cultures at day 70 +/- 17). Cellular immunity, as measured by lymphocyte proliferation (LPT), proved to be of importance in the prevention of active CMV infection, as 14 of 15 patients with negative LPT obtained active CMV infections with antigenemia and positive cultures, whereas 1 of 10 patients with positive LPT did so (P less than 0.0001).