How is CMV disease diagnosed in a kidney transplant recipient?
CMV infection implies the detection of CMV via culture or PCR. By comparison, CMV disease requires clinical signs and symptoms, in addition to viral detection.
The clinical signs and symptoms of CMV disease include fever, leukopenia, or organ involvement (hepatitis, pneumonitis, colitis, chorioretinitis, etc.). The quantitative assessment of viral load via PCR can help determine the clinical phenotype. CMV DNA levels >500 copies/mmg of total DNA in peripheral blood correlates with clinically evident disease.
