Comparison of Two Test Methods-NASBA and Antigenemia-for Detecting Cytomegalovirus Infection

Study Summary

This study will evaluate the reliability of a new test called Real-Time Polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) in detecting cytomegalovirus (CMV) in the blood and predicting the course of CMV disease in patients who have recently had a bone marrow transplant. The test's effectiveness will be compared with that of the "pp65 antigenemia assay" now routinely used for this purpose. CMV is a common virus that is transmitted from person to person by close personal contact. In most healthy people, CVM can remain in the body indefinitely without causing any harm. But, in people with weakened immune systems-including those who have just undergone bone marrow transplant-CMV infection can cause serious, and possibly fatal, complications. Drugs are available to treat this infection, however. Optimum treatment depends on early and accurate detection. Patients aged 10 to 80 years who are scheduled to undergo bone marrow transplant at the NIH Clinical Center as part of an NIH protocol may be eligible for this 2-phase study. In phase 1, patients will have blood drawn for both RT PCR and antigenemia testing once before the bone marrow transplantation and then weekly for the first 100 days after the transplant. During Phase 2-which begins immediately after the end of phase 1 and continues for one year after the transplant-blood samples for both tests will be drawn up to once a week. The samples for both tests will be collected at the same time and will be taken through a catheter (a thin flexible tube inserted into a vein) that has already been placed for the transplant study. RT PCR testing will require an extra 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) above what is needed for antigenemia testing, amounting to a maximum of about one-half pint extra over the course of the 1-year study. It is hoped that the new RT PCR test will prove to be more accurate in detecting CMV infection and predicting disease development, thus enabling doctors to plan early and effective treatment.