VIROLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF CYTOMEGALOVIRUS- INFECTION IN RENAL-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

The early diagnosis of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in renal transp lant recipients has benefited from recently developed rapid virologic tests, The clinical expression of CMV infection varies with the CMV st atus of the recipient before transplantation. Severe CMV disease occur s in as many as 70% of CMV-seronegative recipients of a transplant fro m a CMV-seropositive donor, which identifies this situation as indicat ing use of an intensive virologic monitoring algorithm for CMV disease . The experience provided by widespread use of anti-CMV agents has dem onstrated their efficacy in reducing clinical symptoms and severe dise ase.