Evaluation of the PrimeCapture CMV DNA detection plate system for detection of cytomegalovirus in clinical specimens.

With the availability of anticytomegalovirus (CMV) therapeutic agents, rapid detection of CMV is important in the care and management of the immunosuppressed patient. The PrimeCapture CMV DNA Detection Plate System (PC-PCR) was evaluated for the detection of CMV in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The resolution of discordant results was performed by consensus testing utilizing a combination of conventional cell culture (TC-CPE), the CMV-antigenemia (CMV-Ag) assay, one or more in-house CMV nested PCR assays, and/or patient evaluation and follow-up. Of 51 blood specimens from 34 patients, 23 (45%) were identified as true positives. PC-PCR was significantly more sensitive than the CMV-Ag assay, TC-CPE, or a combination of both tests. The sensitivities, specificities, positive predictive values (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) for PC-PCR, the CMV-Ag assay, TC-CPE, and a combination of CMV-Ag and TC-CPE were 78, 75, 72, 81%; 46, 100, 100, 70%; 39, 100, 100, 67%; and 58, 100, 100, 73%, respectively. CMV was not detected or isolated in CSF, resulting in a combined PC-PCR sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 77, 90, 68, and 93%, respectively. Among those laboratorians considering the incorporation of molecular CMV diagnostics into their clinical microbiology or virology laboratories, the CMV PC-PCR offers a relatively simple-to-perform and sensitive assay system.