The use of flow cytometry for the detection of CMV-specific antigen (pp65) in leukocytes of kidney recipients.

Flow cytometric assay (FCA) was used to detect a cytomegalovirus (CMV) specific antigen (pp65) in CMV-infected fibroblast cells and in leukocytes of kidney recipients. FCA distinguished clearly between the infected and non-infected fibroblast cells. Regarding transplant patients, the FCA was positive when the number of antigenemia assay (AA) positive cells was five or more per 5 x 10(4). Moreover, the percentage of antigenemia-positive cells by FCA correlated well with symptomatic CMV infections.