QUANTITATION OF HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS DNA FROM PERIPHERAL-BLOOD CELLSOF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS-INFECTED PATIENTS COULD PREDICT CYTOMEGALOVIRUS RETINITIS

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA copy number in white blood cells from both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seronegative and HIV-seroposit ive patients was amplified from the immediate-early region of CMV DNA and quantified by colorimetric detection of the hybridization of the a mplification product to a detector oligonucleotide probe in microtiter wells. By Mann-Whitney U test, significantly higher (P < .05, two-tai led) copy numbers of CMV DNA were detected in HIV-seropositive patient s with retinitis than in either patients with <100 CD4 cells/mm(3) and no symptomatic CMV disease or HIV-seropositive patients with >100 CD4 cells/mm(3). By prospective monitoring for increases in CMV DNA copy number, it may be possible to identify HIV-seropositive patients who a re at imminent risk for development of symptomatic CMV retinitis.