EFFECTS OF STORAGE-TEMPERATURE AND TIME ON QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DETECTION OF CYTOMEGALOVIRUS IN BLOOD SPECIMENS BY SHELL VIAL CULTURE AND PCR

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections titers and DNA levels were determined by quantitative shell vial culture and quantitative-competitive PCR w ith blood samples from 10 renal transplant recipients with active CMV infection, Blood samples were stored at either room temperature or 4 d egrees C and were processed at intervals of 0, 6, 24, 48, and 72 h, Al l samples were culture and PCR positive at baseline. Whereas the sensi tivity of shelf vial culture progressively declined, with only 55% pos itive at 24 h and 10% positive at 35 h, all samples remained PCR posit ive at all time points, Furthermore, the infectious titer diminished b g 83 to 91% by 24 h compared to that at baseline (P < 0.0001), but qua ntitative DNA levels did not decline over time. Storage temperature ha d no significant effect on either infectious titer or DNA levels.