Detection of cytomegalovirus in urine specimens from renal transplant recipients using polymerase chain reaction

: Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) in this study, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed to detect human cytomegalovirus (CMV) from urine specimens taken from renal transplant patients and one congenital CMV infection. Twenty eight urine specimens of 20 renal transplant patients were analyzed by the PCR. CMV infection was detected in 11 specimens (8 recipients). The incidence (40.0%) of PCR positive in the renal transplant patients was highest among the other conventional methods including fluorescent antibody study, anti-IgM EIA and complement fixation test. In two cases, CMV infection could be identified by PCR before antibody development. The PCR procedure is more sensitive and rapid than conventional methods for the diagnosis of CMV. Rapid diagnosis of CMV infection using PCR may be useful in clinical diagnosis and have therapeutic value.