Surveillance of cytomegalovirus after solid-organ transplantation: comparison of pp65 antigenemia assay with a quantitative DNA hybridization assay.

In a multicenter study, 113 blood samples from 19 organ transplant patients were analyzed for cytomegalovirus by the pp65 antigenemia assay and a quantitative DNA hybridization assay. Overall, there was 84% agreement among the results obtained by the two tests. Fifteen of 16 episodes of active infection were detected by both assays. One episode was missed by the pp65 assay, and one patient showed significant DNA-emia but only low-level antigenemia.