Comparison of serum and whole blood levels of cytomegalovirus and Epstein–Barr virus DNA

Abstract
The monitoring of viral DNA levels after transplantation is crucial for prevention of complications from cytomegalovirus (CMV) or Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection but there is no consensus as to which matrix is the most adequate. To compare serum and whole blood (WB) as specimens for measuring viral DNA, clinical samples from a 3‐year period were studied, with focus on cases where serum and WB were drawn on the same day. In 1896 paired serum and WB samples, CMV DNA was detected in both specimen types in 472 samples with 0.18 log higher levels (PP50% of WB samples and at 30 times higher levels than in serum, and that post‐transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) may develop without further increase of EBV DNA in WB. Identification of PTLD may require EBV DNA testing in both specimen types or complementary tests.

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